Oceanside Harbor Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. Look, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and weak for our stretch of coast. Don't get too amped for any waves just yet. We've got a long stretch of small, poor surf ahead. The first real window of anything even semi-rideable isn't until Thursday the 10th, and even then, it's pretty marginal. After a blank start, we'll see a few days of knee-high dribble before things really taper off again. It's not looking epic, but let’s break it down day by day.

Tuesday afternoon (Sept 8th) kicks things off with a fresh cross-shore breeze and some lumpy chop. Swell is a weak 3ft from the SSW, but with a period of 10 seconds and combined energy of 484, it's weak and messy. The wind is 30 km/h, which just adds to the surface texture. Honestly, you're better off finding something else to do.

Wednesday the 9th is cleaner with a light breeze, but the swell drops. Morning sees 2ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period, but the energy is low (384) and the cross-on wind makes it bumpy. Afternoon is a touch better at 2ft, but it's still small and clean, and it's a long period swell that will close out at the beach. Not worth the paddle.

Thursday the 10th is about the best it gets for a while, and it's not saying much. Morning has 3ft of SSW groundswell with a 17-second period. Combined energy is 635, which is the most we'll see for a few days. There's a light cross-on breeze, so it will be a bit liney, but it's the cleanest we'll get. The long period is going to make it top-heavy at a beach break like this, but there might be a couple of lefts off the jetty if you're keen. Afternoon sees the wind pick up slightly and it gets a bit choppier.

From Friday the 11th through Monday the 14th, it's a slow fade. Swell drops from 3ft down to 1ft. The wind is mostly light or gentle, but the waves are just not there. This is the kind of stretch where you're just watching the tide come in and go out. The combined energy drops into the 200s for a lot of it, which is weak. Definitely a good week to work on your pop-up on the lawn.

Tuesday the 15th offers a glimmer of hope with a long-period SSW swell of 20 seconds in the afternoon, but the height is only 1ft. The period says energy, but the size just isn't there. It'll be a long, lully wait between tiny sets. Not worth the effort.

From Wednesday the 16th through to the end of the window on September 23rd, the pattern is the same. Small 2ft to 3ft swells, mostly SW. The mornings are consistently blown onshore from the SW, but we do see several mornings on the weekend of the 19th and 20th with light winds. The 20th of September has a morning with 3ft SW swell, a 17-second period, and light winds, and the energy is pushing 509. That's probably the other slightly less-marginal window. It’s still tiny, but it might have a fun crumble on the higher tides.

Overall, the standout options are pretty weak. Thursday the 10th morning is the first pick, and then the morning of Sunday, September 20th is a distant second. Both have decent long-period energy for the size, and light winds to keep things clean-ish. But don't expect any barrels. Crowds are likely at Oceanside Harbor given how consistent the break is, so even these marginal sneaky ones might have a few heads out.

Water temp is 73°, which is a full 5° warmer than normal for this time of year, so that's notable. You won't need a hood, that's for sure.

There are long gaps of nothing to write home about here. That’s the reality of this stretch. The forecasts can change, but as it stands, it's a waiting game.

Rusty

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