Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up at Pismo Beach Pier. Gotta be straight with you—this stretch is looking real quiet for a while. The swell we've got is small and coming from the SSW with a super long period (18 seconds), but the wind is cross-onshore right from the start on Thursday afternoon, so it's messy. The combined swell energy is moderate at 538, but it's not doing us any favours. The water's sitting at about 59°, which is a touch cooler than usual for this time of year—nothing wild, but you'll feel it.

We're looking at a pretty lean run here. From Friday, July 3rd through to Sunday, July 5th, it's all poor conditions—tiny waves, cross-onshore wind, and no real push. The swell height barely cracks 2ft, and the energy drops off. Monday the 6th is a bit of a tease with a bit more energy (604) but still cross-onshore and small. Honestly, nothing worth paddling out for.

There's a glimmer on Tuesday, July 7th morning. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SW, period 18 seconds, and the energy climbs to 1025—moderate-strong. The wind is cross-onshore though, so it won't be glassy, but it's the best we've seen so far. Still, I'd call it marginal.

Then we hit a proper shift mid-week. On Wednesday, July 8th afternoon, the swell jumps to 7ft from the WNW, but the period is short—only 8 seconds—and the wind is cross-shore. That size is getting into expert territory, but the short period makes it lumpy. Energy is high at 994. Thursday, July 9th afternoon pushes even bigger at 8ft from the WNW, with moderate cross-shore wind and energy up at 1189. That's a powerful, chunky swell, but it's short-period and the wind keeps it from being clean. If you're an experienced surfer and you don't mind a bit of chop, there could be some heavy walls, but beginners should stay well clear.

Looking further out, Friday July 10th through Sunday July 13th sees the swell drop back down—5ft to 4ft, still short-period WNW, with light cross-onshore or onshore winds. The energy settles to moderate levels. It's not terrible, but it's not exciting. A couple of mornings on July 11th and 12th have light onshore wind and swell around 4-5ft, but again, it's marginal.

The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. From Monday July 13th onward, we see swell heights fluctuating between 4ft and 7ft, mostly from the WNW with short periods (7-8 seconds). The energy stays moderate. The best looking days in that later stretch are Tuesday July 14th morning with 6ft WNW swell and cross-shore wind (energy 662), and Wednesday July 15th morning with 6ft WNW, light onshore wind, and energy 883—decent power, but wind isn't helping. The true standout in the whole forecast is still Thursday July 9th afternoon: 8ft from the WNW, strong energy (1189), but it's cross-shore and short-period. If you're a local charger, that's the one to circle, but don't expect clean waves.

Overall, Pismo Beach Pier is not firing. There's no real standout that has both good size and clean wind. The consistent cross-onshore or cross-shore wind keeps most sessions choppy. For kite surfers, those stronger cross-shore days on July 8th and 9th afternoon might actually look more interesting than for us paddle surfers.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the forecast—things can change.

Rusty

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