Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve scanned the charts for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you: it’s not firing. We’ve got a long stretch of small, messy surf ahead, with only a couple of brief windows that might be worth a paddle. The first few days are basically a write-off unless you’re desperate for a splash.

The water’s sitting at about 61°, which is a touch cooler than normal for this time of year—nothing crazy, but you’ll feel it after a while.

Thursday, August 6th kicks things off with a weak 2ft southwest swell at 13 seconds. The energy is low (117), and the morning is already cross-onshore, so it’s bumpy and small. Not worth your time. The afternoon doesn’t improve much—slightly better energy (224) but still cross-shore and messy.

Friday, August 7th is more of the same. A touch more punch in the swell (317) but still only 2ft, with a long 19-second period. That long period can make it break a bit straight at a beach break like this, and with the cross-onshore wind, it’s just poor. The morning is as good as it gets, and that’s not saying much.

Saturday, August 8th through Monday, August 10th sees the swell nudge up slightly to 2ft to 4ft, with the period dropping to a more manageable 10-18 seconds. The energy builds from 305 up to 482. The winds are light, but mostly on or cross-onshore. There are a few morning windows where it might be clean-ish, but the waves are still undersized and gutless. Monday morning (August 10th) has the most size at 4ft, but it’s still a marginal call.

From Tuesday, August 11th through Thursday, August 13th, we’re stuck in a rut. Swell hovers around 2ft to 4ft, with periods dropping to 9-14 seconds. The energy stays moderate (358-399), but the wind is consistently cross-onshore. It’s small, lumpy, and just not inviting.

Now, here’s the one bright spot in the whole fortnight. Friday, August 14th and Saturday, August 15th show a bit of life. The swell picks up to 2ft to 3ft from the southwest with a nice 16-18 second period. The energy jumps to 552 on Friday afternoon (August 14th) and stays around 507 on Saturday morning (August 15th). The winds are still light but cross-onshore, so it won’t be glassy, but there’s a bit more push and shape to the waves. This is probably the best you’ll get—still not great, but the closest thing to a surfable wave. Saturday morning (August 15th) is your best bet, but keep expectations low.

After that, it’s all downhill. From Sunday, August 16th onward, the wind picks up out of the northwest, getting stronger and more onshore. The swell stays small (2ft to 3ft), and the period drops off. By Thursday, August 20th and Friday, August 21st, we’re looking at a 5ft northwest swell with a short 6-second period—that’s just wind chop, and with the cross-onshore breeze, it’ll be a washing machine. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.

So, the long and short of it: the first week is a skunk, with a slight blip of hope around August 14th-15th, and then it’s back to small and messy for the second week. If you’re keen, that Friday/Saturday window is your only real shot, and even then, it’s not going to be a day you’ll tell your mates about. The surf is just not cooperating.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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