Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's coming up for Pismo Beach Pier over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, for a spot that's usually pretty consistent, this forecast is a tough one. We're looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions. The water temperature is sitting at 59°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want a tad more rubber than usual.

The first real chance of anything surfable isn't until Wednesday the 15th. The morning is a write-off with a short-period, cross-shore wind chop, but the afternoon sees a pulse of 7ft swell from the WNW. The problem is, it's a short period of 8 seconds and the wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it's going to be a bit of a messy, blown-out affair. The wave energy is moderate (585), but it's hard to get excited about.

Thursday the 16th is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning has the same 7ft, 8-second WNW swell, still with cross-shore wind. The afternoon bumps up to 8ft, but the period is still short and the wind is still cross. This is getting into the "experts only" zone for size, but the quality is poor. The energy is strong (1054 in the afternoon), but it's messy.

Friday the 17th morning is the closest thing we have to a standout, and it's a sad choice. The swell drops to 5ft from the WNW, but the wind swings to a light offshore from the WSW. That'll clean it up a bit, but with a short period of 8 seconds, it's still going to be a bit of a close-out wave at a beach break. The energy is moderate (462). This is the best on offer, but it's a marginal call.

We then hit a real dead zone. From Friday afternoon through to Wednesday the 22nd, the surf is small, weak, and mostly wind-affected. There's a lot of 2ft to 3ft slop with cross-onshore winds. It's a proper lull. The outlook picks up a little around Thursday the 23rd, with a 4ft to 4ft swell from the SSW (moderate energy, 587-699), but the wind is still an issue, and the quality is described as marginal.

The best looking swell of the entire period shows up on Sunday the 26th. A 3ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 19 seconds. That's classic groundswell energy, and the combined energy is very strong (1191). But the wind is a moderate cross-shore again, which will put bumps on what could be a smooth, lined-up wave. For a beach break, that long period can make it break a bit straight, too. It's a promising but less certain call that far out. Monday the 27th has a similar setup with 3ft at 18 seconds, but the wind turns cross-onshore in the afternoon, ruining it.

So, to be honest, the pick of a very average bunch is Friday morning the 17th. The light offshore wind will give you the cleanest conditions of the whole window, even if the swell is small and short. For a bit more size but a lot more mess, the Wednesday afternoon the 15th or Thursday the 16th are there, but only for experienced surfers who don't mind a challenge.

Rusty

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