Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checking in from the Oceanside Pier area. Let's be straight with you, it's been a bit of a flat spell and the next couple of weeks are looking pretty average for a paddle. The water is sitting at a warm 74°, which is a solid 6° warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won't need a thick suit, but the surf quality is a different story.

We start off with a little bit of hope Tuesday morning, the 25th of August. There's a 2ft swell from the SW, but it's got a long 16-second period on it. The problem is the wind is onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, putting a bit of a bump on it. The combined energy is only moderate at 400, and honestly, the conditions are looking marginal. Tuesday afternoon is much the same, just a tiny bump up to 3ft from the S.

Wednesday the 26th sees a slight increase, with a 4ft swell from the S, but the period drops to 12 seconds. It's still onshore wind, so don't expect any gems. This pattern basically sticks around through Thursday the 27th and into the weekend. The waves are there, but they're messy.

Friday the 28th morning has a small 3ft swell from the SSW with a longer 17-second period, but the wind turns cross-onshore from the W, which is just enough to mess up the face. The energy is still moderate (542), but the conditions are described as having "light cross-onshore with small wind ripples." Not ideal.

Saturday the 29th is probably the most promising of a weak bunch. The morning shows a 3ft SSW swell with a 17-second period and combined energy of 686. The wind is light and cross-onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, but it's the afternoon that looks a bit cleaner with the wind swinging more onshore. Still, it's a "marginal" call.

After the weekend, the outlook really fades. From Monday the 31st of August right through to Tuesday the 8th of September, we're looking at a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The swell stays small, mostly under 3ft, and the wind is consistently cross-onshore or onshore. A lot of these days are marked as "poor surf conditions" with zero scores. The best you can hope for is a 4ft swell on Saturday the 5th of September, but it's going to be choppy with a 9 mph cross-onshore wind.

The only real standout in this whole 16-day window is Oceanside Pier. It’s a very consistent, exposed break, so it will always pick up whatever is out there. The best window looks to be the morning of Saturday the 29th of August. You'll have a 3ft SSW groundswell with a long 17-second period. The water is much warmer than normal, so the vibe will be good, but just be aware it can get crowded sometimes. The long period will make for better-shaped waves here, and the light cross-onshore wind is manageable. It's not epic, but it's the best you're going to get in this run.

For the first week of September, honestly, it's not looking good for paddle surfing. The swell is small, and the wind is often cross-onshore or onshore, making it choppy. With a beach break setup, this might actually be more interesting for the kite surfers than us.

Hang in there, the forecasts can always change.

Rusty.

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