Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – for the next 16 days, Oceanside Pier is in a bit of a flat spell. The first surf I can even talk about doesn’t show up until Wednesday the 16th, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. There’s a real dry gap from now, Monday the 14th, right through Tuesday the 15th, with nothing worth paddling out for.

The first signs of life hit Wednesday morning the 16th. Swell is weak at 3 ft from the SSW, period around 18 seconds. That long period means the wave energy is drawn out, but with only a combined energy of 417 (moderate) for the morning, it’s marginal. The wind is light from the SW, so it’s onshore but light – not a total write-off, but don’t expect much. By afternoon, the wind swings to W at 9 mph, cross-onshore, and the energy drops to 371. Still marginal, but the morning is your best shot that day.

Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th keep the same pattern. Thursday morning sees a little more energy at 521 (moderate) with 3 ft SSW swell, 16-second period. Light cross-onshore breeze from WSW at 6 mph keeps it bumpy. Friday morning pushes the energy to 502 (moderate) with 2 ft SW swell, a long 19-second period, and light SW onshore wind. It’s better than the previous days, but still marginal.

The standout window in this whole outlook is Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th. Saturday morning has 3 ft SW swell at 18 seconds, combined energy of 502 (moderate), and light SW onshore wind. It’s the best of a weak bunch. Sunday morning bumps that energy up to 555 (moderate) with 3 ft SW swell at 18 seconds, still with light onshore wind. If you’re desperate for a paddle, those two mornings might offer a few grovelly, long-period lines, but don’t expect any power.

From Monday the 21st onward, things slowly drain away. By Wednesday the 23rd, swell drops to 3 ft but period slims to 15 seconds, and the wind stays cross-onshore. The energy dips to 344 (moderate but fading). The last week is a slow grind of 2 ft to 3 ft SSW and SW swell with periods falling to 12–14 seconds, all cross-onshore. Combined energy stays below 350 for much of it.

Bottom line: there’s nothing here that’s truly a standout. The best wave quality is purely marginal at best. The water temp? It’s about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Oceanside Pier is an exposed spot, and the optimum swell direction is WSW, but we’re mostly getting SW and SSW – not ideal alignment. The crowds are “sometimes” an issue, but with surf this weak, it’ll be quiet. Honestly, with the consistent cross-onshore wind and small, long-period swell, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Rusty.

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