Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, this stretch is looking pretty grim. We’ve got a lot of small, weak surf on the cards for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, there’s nothing here that’s gonna get you out of bed before sunrise. The waves are small, the winds are mostly cross or onshore, and it’s just gonna be a whole lot of groveling.

Starting now, the first few days are basically a write-off. We’re talking ankle-biters, maybe knee-high at best on Sunday the 13th. The water’s warm – a solid 73° – which is way above average for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit. But that’s about the only positive. The swell is weak, coming from the southwest with a long period, but there’s just no push behind it.

Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th stay pretty flat. The period drops right off to 8 seconds on Monday morning, which is just windswell junk. There’s nothing rideable here unless you’re desperate for a foam ball.

Around Wednesday the 16th, we start to see a little more energy in the water – the combined energy creeps up to around 417 – but the wave height is still only around 3-3ft. The period is a bit better, sitting around 16-18 seconds, but the wind is still on it, so it’ll be messy and lumpy. This continues through the end of the week, with the energy building slowly, but the waves staying small and the conditions staying mediocre.

The standout of this whole period is really just a relative term. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the best look we’ve got is around Sunday the 20th and into Monday the 21st. The swell height is up to a meager 3ft, and the energy is the strongest we’ll see early on, hitting 637 on the 20th afternoon. The period drops back to a more manageable 17 seconds, though it’s still a bit long for the beach break – it might be walling up a bit. The wind is light and, while it’s onshore, it’s not howling. It’s still marginal, but it’s the best of a bad bunch.

After that, we’re just drifting. The rest of the week and into the next is more of the same: small, weak swell, light but often onshore winds, and plenty of frustration. The second week (starting around the 24th) the period drops down to 13-14 seconds and the energy backs off a little. There’s nothing here that’s going to light the world on fire.

To be honest, this looks like a stretch where you might want to dust off the longboard and just enjoy being out there, because the waves aren’t going to be doing you any favors. The consistency is there, but the size and quality just aren’t. For the experts, there’s nothing here to get excited about. For the beginners, it’s small enough that it won’t be too intimidating, but the onshore wind will make it a bit messy.

So, in short, grab a board you don’t mind dinging, maybe a fish or a longboard, and just get some exercise. There’s no swell of consequence on the horizon. This is a real “grin and bear it” period. Keep an eye on the charts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty out.

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