Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it looking at the Pismo Beach Pier stretch. The next couple of weeks are a mixed bag, and honestly, a lot of it is for the die-hards only.

The water temp is right around 63°, which is pretty much spot-on for this time of year. It’s comfortable, no need for the thickest suit.

For the first week, don't get too excited. From Sunday the 9th through to Saturday the 15th, we're looking at pretty weak and marginal surf. Swell heights are hovering around 2ft to 3ft, coming from the SW or WNW. The energy is weak, with combined values mostly in the 200s and 300s – it's not going to have any push. There's light cross-on wind for most of it, which will keep it a bit bumpy. It's the kind of surf where you're paddling around more than you're riding. There'll be a few rideable waves on the sets, but you'll be working for them. It's not what you'd call a standout by any stretch.

We do see a bit of a push in energy toward the end of the first week, especially on Saturday the 15th and into Sunday the 16th, where the energy gets into the mid-500s. The swell is still small, around 3ft to 3ft, but the period is a long 16 seconds. This is a nice long-period groundswell, which at a pier break can offer some better shaped lines, but the size just isn't there to make it a proper session.

Then we hit a bit of a lull for the start of the second week. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th look poor. The wind swings more to a cross-shore direction and picks up a bit, up to 12 mph, making things choppy and messy. This is not a surfing day, you'd be better off leaving the board in the car.

The real change comes on Wednesday the 19th. The swell starts to build from the WNW, and by Thursday the 20th, we’re seeing heights of 6ft to 6ft. The energy is strong, jumping into the 600s and 700s. However, there's a catch. The period is a short 7 seconds. This is a short-period windswell, which means it's going to be a bit lumpy and disorganized. The wind is light, which will help, but it’s not going to be a classic, clean swell.

This bigger swell sticks around for the 21st and 22nd, with the combined energy staying in the 300s to 500s. It will be in the 5ft to 6ft range, and there is a fair amount of push behind it. This is probably the most surfable period of the whole outlook. If you’re an advanced surfer, you might find some OK ones. It’s nothing epic, but after the flat start, it’s at least something.

By Sunday the 23rd, the swell is still there at 6ft to 7ft, but it's still that short-period WNW swell. The morning has a light onshore puff, so it might be a touch cleaner early. But then Monday the 24th sees it fade back down to under 4ft and turns to poor.

So, looking at the whole 16 days, there isn't a single day that screams "drop everything and go." The best bet, if you're keen, is the window from Wednesday the 20th through to Sunday the 23rd. The biggest swell and most energy line up then, but the short period is a real drawback. It will be a bit on the messy side. Stay patient, and this would be your time to get wet.

Rusty, signing off.

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