Oceanside Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the surf ahead for Oceanside Pier.

It’s gonna be a bit of a slow start. Right now, the swell is pretty small – around 3ft to 3ft from the SW, with a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, but it’s being let down by a light cross-onshore breeze making the surface a little choppy. The water is sitting at 73°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll be surfing in boardshorts for sure. The combined energy is moderate (601), so there’s a bit of push, but the conditions aren't great. The first few days (Sunday through Tuesday) are all rated as marginal, with the wind staying mostly cross-on or onshore. It’s not terrible, but it’s not clean enough to get excited about.

Through the middle of the week, Wednesday into Thursday, the swell stays stubbornly around 3ft from the SSW with a period dropping to 14 seconds. The wind does shift to a light onshore, which is a slight improvement, but the wave quality is still poor. The combined energy drops into the 400s, so it’s weak and uninspiring. Honestly, if you’re on a shortboard, you’ll be scratching for much.

Now, here’s where things get more interesting. Late on Friday the 24th and into Saturday the 25th, we see a spike in period – up to 24 seconds! That’s a very long period groundswell, but it’s coming in at only 2ft to 3ft. The energy jumps up into the high 900s. The wind is light and offshore, which is a major positive. This will be clean, but the long period means it’s best for a point or a reef break. At a beach break like Oceanside Pier, it might break a bit too straight and fat, but if you find a good bank, there could be clean, glassy lines.

The real standout comes in the second week. The first few days of August, specifically Friday the 31st of July and Saturday the 1st of August, the swell really kicks up. On Friday afternoon, we’re looking at 7ft of S swell with a shorter period around 16 seconds, but the combined energy blows up to 2088 – that’s very strong wave energy. Saturday morning holds 7ft, but the period drops to 13 seconds, with energy at 1324. The wind is light and onshore or cross-on, so it won’t be perfect, but for anyone who’s capable, this is the biggest push of the whole outlook. This is solid swell and will be a proper blast. It’s definitely for experienced surfers – that size is only for the experts. The crowds are sometimes a factor here, so expect company.

After that, the swell drops off fast into Sunday and Monday the 2nd and 3rd of August, with small, weak, and poor conditions returning.

So, if you’re looking for the best of the bunch, the standout is the late July/early August push. The size and energy on Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st is the most powerful surf on offer. The very long period groundswell on the 24th and 25th is also a notable clean option, but it’s small.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Read more