Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s cooking at Pismo Beach Pier for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the water is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 58°, which is about 2° below the norm. That’s noticeable, so you’ll want the thick rubber if you’re out there for a session.

The first option to get wet is Friday afternoon, July 10th. We’ve got some lumpy, chest-high swell at 4ft from the WNW with a short 9-second period. The wind is a light cross-on at 6 mph, so it’s a bit rippled, and the combined energy is moderate (519). It’s not firing, but it’s the only game in town to start. The ratings say it’s a marginal call, so don’t expect perfection.

Things get a bit more interesting if you can wait for Monday afternoon, July 13th. The swell drops to 2ft from the SW, but look at that wind – glassy. That’s a major positive. The period stretches to 13 seconds, giving it some decent push for a small day. The energy is still moderate (363). For a clean, small wave cruiser, this is the best of the early bunch. It’s a consistent spot, so you’ll find something.

We hit a bit of a dry spell after that. From Tuesday, July 14th, through to the end of the first week, the wind picks up hard from the WNW at 9-12 mph, making a mess of things. The swell gets bigger, hitting 7ft on Wednesday afternoon, July 15th, but it’s short period (8 seconds) and cross-shore, which is going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. The energy is strong (582), but it’s not for surfing. This stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The poor run continues through the weekend of July 18th and 19th. The swell is small, around 2ft to 3ft, with a very long period (17-18 seconds) from the SW. That groundswell energy is moderate (over 500), but at a beach break like this, that long period will make the waves break too straight and close out. The wind stays cross-on, so it’s not clean.

The next true standout window shows up on Wednesday afternoon, July 22nd. We get a pulse of 5ft from the NW (8 seconds) with light cross-on wind, and the energy is strong (640). It’s a marginal call, but the size is there.

The absolute best of the entire forecast, and the one to really circle on your calendar, is Thursday afternoon, July 23rd. The swell is small at 2ft from the SW, but the period is a solid 13 seconds, and the wind goes glassy again. The water is likely still a bit chilly, but with clean conditions and moderate energy (314), this is going to be a silky, fun session on a log or a fish. It’s a consistent break, but it can get crowded sometimes, so get in before the evening flat spell.

The run fades out from July 24th through the 25th with small, choppy, or cross-shore junk. The last day shows a tiny 1ft swell from the SW with a 21-second period, which is just too long and weak to do anything with at this beach.

The pick of the whole pack is Thursday afternoon, July 23rd, for the glassy, clean small waves.

Rusty.

Read more