Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Oceanside Pier.

To be straight with you, the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf starting now and running right through to the morning of Saturday the 18th of July. Most of the time it’s small, weak, and the wind is all wrong – mostly cross-onshore or onshore, which is going to chop things up. The water is running at about 71°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only positive.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Saturday the 18th of July. Through the morning we see a pulse of south swell rolling in at 3 ft, with a moderate energy reading (1017), but the wind is still light cross-onshore so it’s a bit of a fight. The afternoon gets a bump to 5 ft from the south, period around 14 seconds, and the energy jumps to 1167 – that’s a moderate to strong push. But the wind is still cross-onshore, so the quality is marginal. Not a standout, but the best we’ve seen in days.

The real standout, the one you want to circle on the calendar, is Friday the 24th of July. That morning we’ve got a solid 7 ft south swell, with the energy reading climbing to 1887 – that’s strong, powerful groundswell. The period is 15 seconds, so it’s long-period stuff, which means nice, lined-up waves, but it’s best suited for the pier or a reef, not a beach break. The wind is going to be light and cross-onshore, so it won’t be glassy but it’s not terrible. Afternoon holds similar size at 7 ft and energy at 1931. This is going to be a big day for the experienced crew – anything over 8 ft is expert-only, so 7 ft is a good size for strong intermediates and up. Crowds are likely here, so get there early.

Saturday the 25th of July still has a decent 6 ft swell from the south-southwest in the morning, with energy at 1069 and light onshore wind. That’s still a solid option, but the swell is already dropping. After that, it fades out pretty quickly into the last days of the month.

So, to sum it up: the next 10 days are mostly a write-off. Saturday the 18th is the first hint of life, but Friday the 24th of July is the big one to aim for – 7 ft+ south swell, long period, and enough energy to get the heart pumping. Just keep an eye on the wind.

Rusty.

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