Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Oceanside Pier over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a stretch of pretty average to poor conditions comin’ our way. The water is running much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 73°F (that’s about 5°F warmer than average – a real warm bath feel). The first decent surf we see is a bit of a wait. Wednesday the 26th is a so-so start: morning has a 4ft S swell rolling in at 12 seconds, combined energy around 807 (moderate), but with light onshore SW wind at 6 mph, so it’s not going to be clean. It’s a marginal setup, and the afternoon is more of the same.

Thursday the 27th follows a similar pattern – 4ft to 3ft S swell, still onshore winds, period hanging around 12 seconds. The energy drops a little, and by Thursday afternoon the wind picks up to 9 mph and the clouds thicken. Friday the 28th brings a drop in size to 3ft, and the wind goes cross-onshore, so it’s small and choppy. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th offer a slight bump back to 3-4ft S/SSW swell, but with onshore winds, it’s still pretty marginal.

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September are a bit of a write-off – small, messy, cross-onshore winds, and the energy is dropping. It’s the kind of stretch where you might be better off doing something else.

Now, hold on to your boards, because Wednesday the 2nd of September is a standout. Wednesday morning the wind goes glassy – a light W breeze at 3 mph, dead calm – and the swell is 4ft from the SSW at 12 seconds, with combined energy of 591 (moderate). This is the cleanest we’ve seen in a while, and it’s flagged as “expect very good surf conditions.” The afternoon builds a little to 5ft but the wind goes cross-onshore, so the morning window is the pick.

But the real highlight of this whole forecast is Thursday the 3rd of September. Thursday afternoon is the best on offer: 6ft of SSW swell at 12 seconds, combined energy of 1008 (strong), and a cross-offshore NW wind at just 3 mph. This is clean, proper surf – flagged as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That 6ft is a solid size, so it’s definitely for the experienced crew. The morning is also decent with 6ft and light winds, but the afternoon is where it’s at.

After that, the second week tails off. Friday the 4th through to the 10th of September sees swell dropping back to 3-4ft, mostly cross-onshore winds, and a lot of poor or marginal conditions. There’s a brief blip on Tuesday the 8th of September afternoon – a clean 2ft SSW swell at 18 seconds (very long period) with cross-offshore NNW wind, but it’s small. The long period might make it a bit tricky for the beach break, but it’s clean.

So, overall: the best bet is the afternoon of Thursday the 3rd of September for the experienced crew, with Wednesday the 2nd of September morning as a solid second choice. The rest of the window is marginal, with crowds possible at this spot (it’s very consistent, and sometimes busy). If you’re a beginner, steer clear of that 6ft day. If you’re a kite surfer, the smaller, windier days might be more your thing.

Rusty.

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