Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, let’s get into it. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Pismo Beach Pier. Straight up, this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty grim with no real standout days. The water is sitting around average for this time of year, so no weird temperature surprises.

The first few days are a write-off. Wednesday morning the 19th kicks off with some clouds and a light cross-onshore breeze messing up a 3 ft southwest swell. The energy is moderate (455), but the conditions are just poor. That same story carries through the next few days – Thursday the 20th morning has a tiny 2 ft swell, and the afternoon sees a 4 ft WNW swell pop up, but with a short period of 7 seconds and cross-onshore wind, it’s just not clean. The energy ticks up to 557, but it’s not worth paddling out for.

Friday the 21st through to Monday the 25th is a real dry spell. The swell is mostly small, under 3 ft, with light to gentle cross-onshore or cross-shore winds. The energy dips into the 200s and 300s. The surf is poor or marginal at best. You’d be wasting your time.

Then we get a bit of a bump around Wednesday the 26th. The morning shows a 5 ft WNW swell, but it’s only 7 seconds and cross-onshore – the energy is moderate (502), but it’s still choppy. Not a winner.

The end of the month and into September has some bigger numbers, but it’s still messy. On Friday the 28th afternoon, a 6 ft WNW swell with a 7-second period rolls in, and the energy jumps to 608. The wind is cross-shore, but it’s a gentle breeze. The conditions are marginal. Saturday the 29th is similar, with moderate energy (768) in the afternoon but still a choppy cross-shore wind.

The biggest swell of the stretch hits Monday the 31st afternoon – a 8 ft WNW swell, 7-second period, energy at 631. That’s getting into expert territory, but with a moderate cross-shore wind, it’s a lumpy mess. Not a clean wave.

The final days into September 2nd and 3rd have more size – 7 ft and 6 ft – but the wind freshens up to 19 mph from the northwest on the 2nd afternoon, making it a lumpy, cross-shore chop. Energy gets up to 877, but it’s rough. The morning of the 3rd is a bit better with a 6 ft swell and moderate cross-shore, but still just marginal.

Honestly, there’s nothing here I’d call a standout. If you’re desperate, the afternoon of Friday the 28th or the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September might give you a few, but it’s a gamble. The wind is always ruining it. For the size and the wind, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Keep your hopes low and your eyes on the next forecast.

Rusty.

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