Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's look at what's coming up for Oceanside Pier over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burner, so don’t expect much action straight away.

Right now, the surf is pretty much flat and junk. We’ve got a weak, long-period SSW swell pushing in, but it’s only around 2 ft to 2 ft with the wind blowing cross-onshore, making it a messy, choppy mess. You’re better off staying on the beach for the first few days. The water temp is sitting at 72°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year—that’s a nice bonus if you do happen to get wet.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Wednesday the 26th of August. The combined swell energy jumps to (1306), which is a solid kick. We’re looking at a building S swell, hitting 5 ft in the morning and pushing to 6 ft by the afternoon. The period is around 14 to 15 seconds, so there’s some proper groundswell in the water. The wind is light and blowing straight onshore, which will keep it a bit lumpy, but it’s the best we’ve seen. This size is getting into the territory where beginners might find it a handful, but for the crew with some experience, there’ll be some fun ones. Thursday the 27th will ease back a bit to 4 ft to 4 ft, with glassy conditions in the afternoon as the wind drops to just 3 mph—that’ll be the cleanest session of the early window.

After that, we go into a bit of a lull again. From Friday the 28th right through to the start of September, it’s back to small, marginal surf, mostly in the 2 ft to 4 ft range. The wind stays light but mostly cross-onshore, so the quality is just never quite there. You’ll see some longer-period SSW energy (17 to 20 seconds) around the 3rd of September, but the swell height is still only around 2 ft to 3 ft, so it’s more of a tease than a real session.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window looks to be around Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September. This is a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but the models are showing a much more powerful SSW swell pushing in. On Friday morning, we’re looking at 5 ft with a 19-second period and combined energy of (1735). The wind is light and onshore, but the power is there. Saturday the 5th holds in at 4 ft to 5 ft with a 16 to 17-second period. The combined energy is still huge (1544 and 1256). This is the biggest, most consistent swell of the whole forecast. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best on offer. For the more experienced surfers, this is your window.

Then Sunday the 6th of September brings another pulse of S swell at 6 ft to 6 ft, with period around 14 seconds. The wind stays light and onshore. It’s a solid finish to the run, but again, the onshore wind will keep it from being a classic.

So, to sum it up: the next few days are a write-off. The best bet is Wednesday the 26th of August for a building swell, but the real standout is the long-range pulse around Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September. That’s your best chance for some proper waves. Keep it on your radar.

Rusty.

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