Surf Forecasts:
Pismo Beach Pier surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with 427 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pismo Beach Pier this week:
The surf forecast for Pismo Beach Pier over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pismo Beach Pier in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pismo Beach Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, me again. Let's have a proper look at the next couple of weeks down at Pismo Beach Pier.
To be honest, it's a bit of a slow start. The first few days are pretty gutless, with tiny, weak surf and those cross-onshore breezes chopping everything up. Water temp's sitting at about 64°, which is a touch warmer than it should be this time of year, so that's a small win.
The first real chance of a wave comes on Tuesday, August 18th. The swell bumps up to around 5 to 6 feet, but the period drops right off to a short 8 seconds, and the wind is still side-shore. It's going to be lumpy and uninviting, but there's a bit of energy in the water, with combined energy readings of 485 and 609.
To be fair, the whole first week is pretty average. The swell keeps trying to show up, but the wind just won't play fair. It's a constant cross or cross-on, which is a shame. Wave heights hover between 2 and 5 feet, and the periods are short and weak. It's a grind, not a glory day.
We hit a real flat spell around the 24th and 25th of August. The swell just dies, with waves dropping to barely 1 to 2 feet. The period stretches out to a long 17 and 18 seconds, but without any size, that long-period groundswell is just a tease.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Around Wednesday, August 26th, the energy starts to build again from the SSW, and things start to look up. We're seeing 4 to 5 feet of swell, and the combined energy jumps to 801 and 886. That's a solid kick of power.
The standout day of the whole window is shaping up to be Thursday, August 27th. We've got a solid 5 feet of SW swell with a nice 14-second period. The energy is pumping, hitting a strong 1091, the best we see all week. The wind is still cross-on, which is a shame, but this is the most size and push on offer. This is the day to be out there if you can.
After that, it all gets a bit messy. We get some long-period swells with no size, and some short-period windswell that just makes things choppy. The 29th of August has a brief moment with a 2-foot, 18-second swell in the morning, but again, no push. The afternoon sees a jump in size to 5 feet, but it's short-period junk.
The very last day, Sunday, August 30th, sees a bit of a energy surge, hitting 784, but the waves are only about 3 feet. Another tease.
So, bottom line, if you're going to pick a day, make it Thursday, August 27th. It's the best combination of size, period, and energy in the whole stretch. The rest of the time, it's a lot of paddling around for not much. Keep your hopes in check and you might be surprised.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 17°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
318 | 376 | 421 | 344 | 305 | 350 | 255 | 251 | 302 | 220 | 389 | 402 | 269 | 248 | 176 | 167 | 167 | 164 | 118 | 183 | 336 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:53PM1.91m | 00:47AM1.78m | 1:28PM1.93m | 1:44AM1.56m | 2:05PM1.92m | 2:56AM1.38m | 2:46PM1.89m | 4:40AM1.27m | 3:36PM1.85m | 7:02AM1.28m | 4:36PM1.83m | 8:28AM1.36m | 5:41PM1.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:54PM0.75m | 6:59AM0.60m | 7:53PM0.74m | 7:29AM0.80m | 9:00PM0.73m | 8:00AM0.99m | 10:17PM0.72m | 8:32AM1.14m | 11:38PM0.67m | 9:21AM1.26m | 00:48AM0.59m | 10:59AM1.32m | 1:42AM0.50m | ||||||||
6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 26 | 25 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 25 | 24 | 20 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 14 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 11 | WNW 8 |
318 | 376 | 421 | 344 | 305 | 350 | 255 | 251 | 203 | 206 | 132 | 402 | 151 | 118 | 138 | 104 | 74 | 121 | 118 | 90 | 336 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | SW 13 | WNW 6 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
28 | 87 | 38 | 21 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 248 | 59 | 84 | 164 | 269 | 248 | 176 | 167 | 167 | 85 | 65 | 85 | 85 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | S 10 | WNW 11 | SW 10 | S 10 | W 12 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 9 | S 9 | W 13 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 18 | WSW 17 |
111 | 17 | 22 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 37 | 59 | 87 | 100 | 106 | 164 | 87 | 49 | 30 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 7 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — |
— | 41 | — | 36 | 27 | 19 | 31 | 74 | 302 | 220 | 389 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 183 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 340 | 109 | 9 | 109 | 89 | 9 | 81 | 136 | 0 | 80 | 89 | 0 | 79 | 109 | 0 | 79 | 109 | 0 | 109 | 89 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Luis Obispo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Pismo Beach Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pismo Beach Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pismo Beach Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pismo Beach Pier surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Pismo Beach Pier) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Pismo Beach Pier may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a vacation in San Luis Obispo? If you are looking for accommodation near Pismo Beach Pier, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in San Luis Obispo, consider staying in Arroyo Grande which is 5 km (3 miles) away. Other places in and around San Luis Obispo where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Port San Luis which is 11 km (7 miles) away, San Luis Obispo, Nipomo and Santa Maria.











