Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer for Oceanside Pier.

Right off the bat, it’s a pretty quiet picture for the next week and a half. From Saturday the 15th all the way through to Monday the 24th, we’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak conditions. The swell is coming in from the SSW, but it’s tiny – mostly under 3ft – and with a persistent cross-onshore wind, the surface is going to be pretty chopped up. The energy is weak too, with values sitting around 200 to 600 (combined swell energy). Honestly, there’s nothing worth paddling out for in that first ten days. The water temperature is a notable 74°F, which is a whopping 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual and might feel more like bath water than the ocean.

Now, things get a bit more interesting towards the end of the window. There’s a glimmer of hope late in the second week, specifically Tuesday the 25th of August. That morning we finally see a pulse of S swell coming through at 5ft with a period of 17 seconds. That’s a long period groundswell, so it’ll have some real energy behind it – you can see it in the combined energy jumping way up to 1384. The wind is forecast to be light from the S at just 3 mph, which is cross-on but very light, so it could clean up nicely. This is the standout of the whole period. It’s not huge, but after so much nothing, this is where you want to be. The swell direction from the S is a good match for the optimum here.

We then roll into Wednesday the 26th with similar energy, but the swell bumps up to 6ft and the period drops to 14 seconds. That’s a bit more size, but it’s also pushing into the zone where it might be too much for beginners. The wind is cross-on again, so it could get a little lumpy in the afternoon.

The window fades out after that, with the swell dropping back down through the 28th and 29th. The last decent looking window is Saturday the 29th morning, with a 4ft SSW swell (18s period) and light offshore wind, giving combined energy around 1097. That’s a solid note to end on, but it’s far out so keep an eye on it.

Overall, it’s a waiting game. The first ten days are a total write-off, but if you can hold out for that Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th window, there’s some real potential for clean, long period waves. Crowds could be an issue at Oceanside Pier if the word gets out, but after a week of flatness, everyone will be hungry.

Rusty.

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