Surf Forecasts:
Pismo Beach Pier surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SW swell with 493 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pismo Beach Pier this week:
The surf forecast for Pismo Beach Pier over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pismo Beach Pier in the next 16 days are 0.9m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pismo Beach Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s coming down the pipe for the next two weeks. I’ll call it like I see it – this ain’t prime time. The first chance to get wet comes up on Wednesday the 12th, but after that, there are long gaps where you’re better off doing something else. The wind is mostly a problem and the swell is weak.
Wednesday afternoon the 12th: we’ve got a 0.6m south-west swell with a 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell, slow and clean. The wind is offshore out of the northeast, so the surface at Pismo Beach Pier should be glassy. Water temp is 64°F, a touch warmer than usual. The energy is low at 307, so don’t expect power – but for a longboard, it might be fun. There could be a few other heads out.
Thursday the 13th starts the same, small and clean in the morning, but by afternoon the wind swings cross-onshore and it’s over. Friday the 14th has a 0.5m SW swell with a 19-second period, but with a building cross-onshore breeze and more wind in the afternoon, it’ll be bumpy. The weekend? Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th have little 0.5m to 0.6m waves, but the wind is never right. It’s all marginal.
Then comes the big quiet. From Monday the 17th all the way through to Tuesday the 25th, there’s barely a session worth mentioning. That’s over a week of small, weak, choppy conditions. The one blip is the morning of Wednesday the 19th: 1.5m of WNW windswell, 8-second period, with offshore winds. That’s short and crumbly though – only for experts. The afternoon gets a cross-onshore breeze too. That type of wind and short-period bump is honestly more fun for kite surfers.
The best in the window? I’d give it to Wednesday morning the 19th. It’s the only time we see a little size, clean wind, and some energy (619). But the period is just 8 seconds, so expect dumpy, fast-breaking waves. Not for the faint of heart. After that, it’s back to small, weak SW pulses through to the end of the month. Thursday the 27th has a 0.9m SW swell with a 15-second period, but the wind is cross-on. All marginal to poor.
Look, it’s a tough stretch. But the surf always comes back around. For now, grab a coffee and watch the horizon.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
163 | 206 | 157 | 193 | 229 | 179 | 255 | 312 | 314 | 376 | 421 | 406 | 305 | 297 | 251 | 251 | 320 | 226 | 362 | 488 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 10:17PM2.33m | 11:43AM1.81m | 11:06PM2.19m | 12:18PM1.87m | 11:55PM2.00m | 12:53PM1.91m | 00:47AM1.78m | 1:28PM1.93m | 1:44AM1.56m | 2:05PM1.92m | 2:56AM1.38m | 2:46PM1.89m | 4:40AM1.27m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:11PM0.92m | 5:16AM0.07m | 5:04PM0.84m | 5:52AM0.21m | 5:58PM0.78m | 6:26AM0.40m | 6:54PM0.75m | 6:59AM0.60m | 7:53PM0.74m | 7:29AM0.80m | 9:00PM0.73m | 8:00AM0.99m | 10:17PM0.72m | |||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 26 | 25 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 24 | 23 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 7 | SW 16 | SW 13 | WNW 8 |
103 | 88 | 75 | 73 | 84 | 58 | 255 | 312 | 314 | 376 | 421 | 406 | 305 | 297 | 251 | 251 | 197 | 206 | 87 | 488 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 6 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | S 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 14 |
163 | 206 | 157 | 193 | 229 | 134 | 132 | 164 | 111 | 87 | 56 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 248 | 59 | 133 | 164 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 20 | SW 19 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | WNW 13 | WNW 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | W 12 | S 9 | W 14 | WNW 15 |
41 | 23 | 38 | 20 | 98 | 179 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 34 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 22 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | 64 | 43 | 41 | — | 48 | 39 | 43 | 74 | 131 | 320 | 226 | 362 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 109 | 0 | 28 | 235 | 0 | 79 | 109 | 0 | 340 | 109 | 0 | 80 | 89 | 0 | 89 | 92 | 0 | 136 | 81 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Luis Obispo | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Pismo Beach Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pismo Beach Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pismo Beach Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pismo Beach Pier surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Pismo Beach Pier) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Pismo Beach Pier may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a vacation in San Luis Obispo? If you are looking for accommodation near Pismo Beach Pier, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in San Luis Obispo, consider staying in Arroyo Grande which is 5 km (3 miles) away. Other places in and around San Luis Obispo where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Port San Luis which is 11 km (7 miles) away, San Luis Obispo, Nipomo and Santa Maria.











