Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s stare at this 16-day crystal ball for the Central Coast and see what shakes out. First off, I gotta be straight with you—this stretch is a flat spell for the most part. We’re looking at a long, dry run of marginal to poor conditions, so don't expect any hero sessions. The best we can hope for is a few small, workable windows, but nothing is going to blow your mind.

Right now, and for the next several days, Pismo Beach Pier is where we’ve got the only reads. The water temp is sitting around 61°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no need for a thicker suit just yet.

The first real chance to get wet is Friday morning, July 24th. We’ve got a tiny 2 ft swell from the SW, with a period of 24 seconds. That’s a very long-period groundswell, which means it’ll have some push but the sets will be far apart. The wind is a cross-shore 9 mph, so it’s not clean, but it’s not blown out. The combined wave energy is moderate at 1002. This is about as good as it gets in this outlook, and it’s still just a marginal session. It’s a spot for advanced surfers only, and with the crowds listed as “sometimes”, you might have a few others out there, but it won’t be a circus. Friday afternoon is worse, with the wind turning cross-on and the swell dropping to 2 ft.

The rest of the weekend and into the following week is a wash. Saturday and Sunday, July 25th and 26th, see the swell stick around 2 ft to 3 ft, but the wind is cross-on or cross-shore, keeping the waves choppy and uninviting. The energy drops into the 700-900 range, which is weak. Don’t bother.

Monday, July 27th, we see a slight bump to 3 ft, and the energy climbs to 1256 on Monday afternoon, but the wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-shore, and the report says “cross-chop.” It’s still not good.

Then we hit Tuesday, July 28th. The morning is a tiny 4 ft, but the afternoon brings a big jump to 8 ft from the WNW with a short period of 8 seconds. That’s a lot of water moving fast, but that short period means it’s going to be a close-out, messy wall. The energy is strong at 1645, but the wind is a moderate 16 mph cross-shore. At 8 ft, this is strictly for experts only. The quality is poor, and with the beach break setup, this looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle session. Beginners, stay on the sand.

After that, we slide back into small dribble. From Wednesday, July 29th, all the way through to Saturday, August 8th, the swell hangs between 1 ft and 6 ft, with short periods and mostly cross-on or onshore winds. The combined energy is mostly weak, under 500. The commentary for the last few days even says “poor surf conditions.” There’s a very brief moment on Sunday, August 2nd, with a 6 ft swell from the WNW, but the period is only 9 seconds and the wind is cross-on, so it’s just a messy close-out.

The standout, if you can call it that, is still Friday morning, July 24th, at Pismo Beach Pier. The 2 ft SW swell with that 24-second period is the only time the ocean has any real structure, and the wind is manageable. It’s not a day to call in sick for, but it’s the only window where you might actually catch a clean, lined-up wave. The second best is probably the Monday afternoon, July 27th, which has a bit more size and energy, but it’s rougher.

To be honest, this is a long stretch of quiet water. It’s not unusual for this area to go flat like this in the summer, so don’t lose hope. Forecasts can change, and a new groundswell could pop up. But as it stands, the only lifeline is that Friday morning.

Stay patient, and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Rusty.

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