Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Pismo Beach Pier over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the start of this period is a total dud. Tuesday, the 25th, has got nothing going on – just a messy, weak cross-onshore chop with a combined energy of only 297, and the water temp is sitting at 61.9°F, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year. Not a single wave worth paddling for.

The first real chance to get wet doesn’t show up until Wednesday morning, the 26th. It’s still tiny – only 1.9ft of swell – but it’s a clean morning with a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy jumps to 621, and the forecast is calling for very good surf conditions. That’s the window to grab a longboard and enjoy the glassy lines. The swell is coming from the southwest with a very long period of 16 seconds, which is classic groundswell. That long period can make for some nice, lined-up waves at a point or reef, but at a beach break like Pismo Pier, it might break a little too straight. Still, it’s the best we’ll see for a while.

The afternoon of the 26th turns messy. The swell jumps to 5.6ft, but the period drops to a short 6 seconds, and the wind comes cross-shore from the Northwest at 12 mph. The combined energy is still decent at 596, but the surf quality is marginal. Not the one.

We go through a long stretch of days from Thursday the 27th all the way into the second week of September where the surf is consistently marginal or poor. The swell stays small, mostly between 1.3ft and 5.6ft, and the wind is almost always cross-onshore or cross-shore. The combined energy values bounce around from 221 to 779, but none of it translates to good, clean waves. The days blend together with a lot of "light cross-onshore with small wind ripples" or "gentle cross-onshore and fairly choppy." Nothing to get excited about.

There’s a glimmer on the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September – a tiny 1.3ft swell from the southwest with a very long 19-second period, and the wind is just a light cross-shore. The combined energy is 345, which is weak, but the conditions are described as marginal. For a second-week option, it’s about as good as it gets, but it’s still a long way off and very uncertain.

Honestly, looking at this whole 16-day window, the standout is definitely Wednesday morning, the 26th of August. It’s the only session with that "very good surf conditions" tag. The rest is a long, flat, or choppy slog. The crowd at Pismo Beach Pier can be a problem sometimes, but with this kind of forecast, I wouldn’t worry about a crowd on the 26th – just a few of us who know to be there.

If you’re a beginner, the swell on the 26th is only 1.9ft, so it’s safe and easy. But later on the 26th afternoon and the 27th, that 5.6ft swell is getting towards the top end for a learner, especially with the short period and choppy conditions. For the experts, there’s nothing here that’s going to get your heart racing.

Keep in mind, long-range forecasts can change, but for now, that Wednesday morning is the only game in town.

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