Oceanside Harbor Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you, looking at the next couple of weeks, it’s mostly a waiting game. There’s surf on the charts, but the quality is a real mixed bag, and most of it looks pretty marginal. We’re looking at a long stretch of so-so conditions before a couple of interesting windows pop up.

We’ll start with Oceanside Harbor here on the coast. Water temp is sitting at 74°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a weird one.

First up, Thursday morning the 27th. We’ve got some waist-high swell at 4 ft coming from the S, with a solid 12-second period. The combined energy is moderate at best (574). The wind is light and onshore from the SW, so it’ll be a little choppy. It’s a bit of a marginal one, not terrible, but nothing to get worked up about.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th are a similar story. Swell drops off a touch, winds stay light and onshore. Saturday afternoon sees the wind pick up to 9 mph from the W, turning it cross-onshore and bumpy. The scores are low – these are days for a quick dip if you’re desperate, not a mission.

Sunday the 30th through Tuesday the 1st of September is more of the same: small, weak swell, and the wind is a constant issue. On Monday the 31st, the morning sees a little 3 ft S swell with 13-second period, but it’s onshore. The following days are a real drag; small, cross-onshore, and choppy. The forecast shows a lot of zeros here.

Wednesday the 2nd of September looks poor. The swell is only about 4 ft from the SSW but the wind is up to 12 mph, making it a messy, choppy affair. Not worth your time.

Now, Thursday the 3rd of September is where we get a little flicker. The morning shows a bump in size to 5 ft from the SSW, period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is getting up there (911). The wind is still a light cross-onshore from the WNW, which keeps it from being perfect, but that’s the strongest swell of the whole run so far. It’s still a “marginal” call, but if you’re itching for something with a bit more push, that’s the best of a bad bunch. It’s right on the cusp of being too much for beginners.

Friday the 4th of September drops back down. Light onshore wind, cleanup period southwest swell in the 3 ft range.

Saturday the 5th through Sunday the 6th of September are another flat spell. Winds are light and variable, but the swell is weak. The scores are poor.

Now, mark your calendars. Monday, September the 7th is the standout. The wind goes glassy, with a slight air from the SSW at just 3 mph. The swell is only 3 ft from the SSW with a decent 14-second period, and combined energy (396) is still moderate. But that glassy morning wind will make the Harbour look like a lake. For a beach/jetty setup with a west exposure, that’s a rare treat. The crowds here are often a factor, so get out early for the cleanest lines. This is the one to aim for.

Tuesday the 8th through to the end of the run looks like a return to the same old story: small, weak, and a cross-onshore breeze ruining any chance of clean waves. Tuesday the 8th has a long period swell (18 seconds) from the SW at only 2 ft – too long for the beach break to hold shape properly, it’ll just close out. The rest of the week is a write-off, with mostly “poor surf conditions” labels.

So, nutshell: a long, frustrating gap of mostly poor surf, then one absolute golden window on the morning of Monday, September 7th when it goes glassy. Thursday the 3rd has the most size, but the wind is dirty. After the 7th, it’s back to small and choppy again.

Stay patient, mates. The 7th is the day.

Rusty.

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