Pismo Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Pismo Beach Pier over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty flat and choppy run for the most part. We’re looking at a long stretch of days where you’ll be struggling to find anything worth paddling out for.

The action starts on Monday, July 27th, and it’s not the kind of start you want to brag about. We’ve got a long-period groundswell rolling in from the SW, with a period of 18 seconds. That’s a classic setup that can wrap into a pier, but there’s a couple of problems. The swell height is only around 3 ft, and the wind is blowing cross-shore from the WNW at 9 mph. That’s making for a slight cross-chop, so it’s not clean. The combined swell energy is moderate (838), but the overall score is low. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about average for this time of year. Not much to get excited about, honestly.

Tuesday, July 28th, and Wednesday, July 29th, are more of the same. Swell holds around 4 ft, still from the SW, but the wind turns cross-onshore. That’s going to mess up the surface, making it fairly choppy. The energy is still moderate (900-1000 range), but it’s not the kind of surf that’s going to make you call in sick. By Thursday, July 30th, and Friday, July 31st, the swell drops a touch to 3 ft, and the period shortens from 15 down to 13 seconds. The wind is light and cross-onshore, so it’s just small and bumpy. The energy is dropping into the 500-700 range.

The first weekend of August, the 1st and 2nd, we see a shift. The swell direction swings to the WNW, but the period drops to a short 8-9 seconds, and the height bumps up to 6 ft - 6 ft. That’s a windswell, not a groundswell. It’s going to be a lumpy, disorganized mess with cross-onshore winds. The energy is moderate (589-704), but the quality is poor. Not a good call for a paddle board; that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

From Monday, August 3rd, onward, the trend is our friend – but in a bad way. The swell fades from 5 ft down to just 1 ft by the end of the week. The period drops off, and the energy plummets. By Wednesday, August 5th, we’re looking at 3 ft waves with 8-second periods, and the energy is weak (165). From Thursday, August 6th, through the rest of the outlook, we’re talking about 1 ft to 2 ft, with wind on it. It’s essentially flat. The long-period swell that shows up on the 6th (21 seconds) is a tease, but it’s only 1 ft – it’ll just make the water look bumpy.

If I had to pick the best of a bad bunch, Monday morning, July 27th, and the first few days are the only times you’ll find any rideable waves. The swell direction is SW, which is the optimum for the pier, but the wind is the problem. It’s never clean, and the crowds are *sometimes* an issue. With the water being average temp and the energy never really getting strong, it’s a tough stretch. There’s a gap of poor surf from about August 1st onward, and by the second week, it’s basically a write-off. A blank run like this is more normal for the area in summer, so don’t smash your board. Forecasts can change.

Rusty

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