Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cooking for Oceanside Pier.

We've got a long stretch ahead, but honestly, it's a bit of a slow grind for the first while. There's nothing on the table right at the start, so we're looking at a dry spell. The first few days are mostly marginal, with a mix of small swell and less-than-ideal wind. It's not until we get into the weekend and the following week that things start to look a little more promising, though still nothing to write home about.

The first real chance for a surf comes on Tuesday, 25 August. The morning will see a small SW swell pushing in at about 2ft, but it's coming from the WSW at 6 mph, which puts it cross-on. The wave energy is moderate at 400, but the conditions are marginal. The afternoon stays similar with a touch more size at 3ft from the S, but it's still cross-on and the combined energy ticks up to 484. Not great, not terrible.

Wednesday, 26 August brings a bit more size, with the swell hitting 5ft from the S, but it's onshore in the morning as a SSW breeze at 9 mph kicks up. The combined energy is solid at 893. The afternoon stays the same size but remains cross-on. Still, that's a lot of energy for the conditions.

Thursday, 27 August is probably your best bet in the near term. The morning swell is 4ft from the S, and the wind swings to a lighter SW at 6 mph, making it onshore but much lighter. The combined energy is still decent at 694. It's marginal, but with that lighter breeze, it could clean up a bit. The afternoon is similar with 4ft and a light onshore wind, energy at 517.

From there, it's a bit of a mixed bag through the rest of the first week. Friday 28 August sees a long-period groundswell (16-19 seconds) from the SSW, but at 2-3ft and cross-on winds. The long period means there'll be some nice shape if you can find a bank, but the size is small. The combined energy hangs around 539-567.

Saturday 29 August picks up a touch more size with 3-4ft from the SSW, period around 16-17 seconds, and an onshore wind in the morning easing to light cross-on in the afternoon. The energy gets up to 803 in the arvo. Keep an eye on the early session.

The second week, from 31 August onward, the surf drops off. Swell sizes get down to 2ft to 3ft for most of the time. The winds are mostly cross-on, so it's choppy and small. The combined energy stays below 500 for most of the week. It's a bit of a flat spell.

There is a slight pickup around Friday 4 September, where the swell bumps back up to 4ft from the SSW with periods of 17 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 840-865. But the winds are cross-on from the W, so you're fighting a bit of chop. Still, for a long-range glance, this is the most interesting window in the second week if the wind plays ball.

Best on Offer: The standout session in this entire outlook is likely Thursday, 27 August morning. The swell is 4ft at a decent period from the S, the wind is a light onshore breeze from the SW at 6 mph, and the combined energy is a moderate 694. It won't be perfect, but it's the most surfable. The long-period swell on Friday 28 August and Saturday 29 August is also worth checking for the shape potential, especially at a point or reef break, but the size is small. Keep in mind, with the combined energy staying under 1000 most of the time, it's not a high-energy, powerful swell. The water temp anomaly is not mentioned, so it's about average for this time of year.

Alright, that's the word for Oceanside Pier. It's a waiting game, but there are a few windows to get wet. Keep your eye on the lighter wind days.

Stay stoked, Rusty.

Read more