Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the Pismo Beach Pier stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a slow start and stays that way for a while. The surf is small and a bit messy for the first few days, with a light cross-onshore breeze that’s not doing us any favours. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want a spring suit.

We’ve got a long period swell from the SSW on Thursday July 30th and into Friday July 31st, with the swell around 3ft and a period of 14 to 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is in the moderate range (621 on Thursday morning, dropping through the 500s). The trouble is, the wind is light but cross-onshore, which is keeping things from cleaning up. It’s marginal, but if you’re desperate, there’s a rideable wave.

The weekend of August 1st and 2nd sees a bump in size. Saturday morning the swell jumps to 5ft from the WNW, but the period drops to 8 seconds – short period windswell, not the good stuff. The wind is cross-shore, and the energy is moderate (433). The waves will be a bit lumpy and not great for paddling. By Sunday, the swell is up to 6ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the energy is a bit stronger (666). Still, the cross-onshore wind keeps it choppy. This is more of a kite-surfing set-up than a clean paddle session.

The best bet in this whole run is actually the early part of the following week. Monday August 3rd offers a 5ft swell from the WNW with a 10-second period and light cross-onshore winds. The energy is moderate (528). It’s not world-class, but it’s the most consistent-looking day with the best balance of size and shape. It’s still a bit cross-on, so it won’t be glassy, but it’s the standout in a pretty flat-to-middling period.

After that, the surf fades fast. From Wednesday August 5th onward, we’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions. The swell drops to under 3ft, and the combined energy falls into the weak-to-low-moderate range (from 175 down to 285). The wind stays cross-onshore, and the period gets long again (13-19 seconds) but the size is too small to do anything with. There’s a brief flirtation with a 3ft WNW swell on August 10th and 11th, but the wind is still cross-onshore and the energy is only moderate (348-461). Nothing to get excited about.

So, to be honest, the entire 16-day window is a bit of a struggle. The best session will be Monday August 3rd, with a 5ft, 10-second WNW swell and light winds. It’s not a day to call in sick for, but it’s the only one that’s worth a look. The rest is either too small, too choppy, or both.

Rusty.

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