Oceanside Harbor Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, looking at this whole window, it’s a bit of a grind for Oceanside Harbor. We’ve got a lot of small, weak swell and a persistent onshore/cross-onshore wind that’s going to keep things lumpy and uninviting for the most part. The water is crazy warm, about 8°F warmer than it should be for this time of year, which is a wild outlier. You’ll want a springy shorty at most, if not just boardshorts.

The run starts off pretty flat. This Saturday and Sunday are poor. We’re looking at knee-high, maybe waist-high dribble from the SSW, around 3ft to 3ft, with that Westerly breeze chopping it up. You’ll be fighting an onshore wind for better waves, and it’s just not worth a paddle. The swell energy is moderate at best, around 340-430, but it’s all surface junk.

There’s a little bump in energy mid-week, but it’s not doing us any favors. Tuesday afternoon sees some clouds and a onshore wind, but the swell only pushes 2ft. Wednesday morning is the first time we see anything ‘marginal’, with a 2ft SSW pulse at 17 seconds. The longer period is a plus, but the size is just too small to get excited about. The wind is light and onshore, which will keep the surface clean-ish, but it’s still tiny. The energy is moderate, right around 300.

Thursday and Friday are more of the same. The swell ticks up slightly Thursday morning to 2ft, and then Friday morning pulls in a bit more energy with a 2ft SSW at 18 seconds, showing a jump in the combined energy to 594. But both days are marred by that onshore/cross-onshore wind. The waves will be there, but it’s just not quality.

The first real standout, if you can call it that, looks like Saturday the 15th. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 4ft from the SSW, with a solid 16-second period. Energy is pushing 731. The wind is still cross-onshore at 9 mph, which will keep it a little bumpy, but there’s finally some size and push behind it. It’s still not a classic, but it’s the most interesting day so far. The period is solid groundswell, so the jetty might offer a more organized wave than the open beach, despite the onshore wind.

Sunday the 16th morning is the other half-decent window. Swell holds at 4ft from the SW, period drops to 15 seconds, but the wind finally goes light and onshore. This is your cleanest morning of the stretch. The energy is still strong at 681. This is the one to be awake for. It’s not big, but it’s the best combination of size and clean conditions we’re going to see. After this, it starts to fade back down again.

The following week just kind of peters out. We see the swell drop back to 3ft, and the wind patterns don’t offer much relief. There’s a bit of a bump on Tuesday the 19th, but it’s nothing to write home about. Long-range stuff is promising, but less certain, and this definitely feels like a “wait for the next storm” kind of outlook.

So, to sum it up: this whole 16-day stretch is a lot of small, wind-affected mush. The standout is Sunday morning the 16th, with that 4ft SW swell and light winds. Saturday afternoon the 15th is your next best bet, with a touch more size but a bit more wind. Everything else is a skip or a longboard session at best.

Stay patient, keep the board waxed, and wait for those conditions to line up.

Rusty.

Read more