San Clemente Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, looking at this 16-day window, it’s a bit of a slow-burner for San Clemente Pier. The first few days are a real struggle with tiny, weak surf and poor conditions. The good news is that the swell does start to build in the second week, but it’s a slow grind to get anything decent. The water is a stonking 76°F at the start, which is far warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

The first real chance to wet a line comes on the morning of Monday, August 11th. It’s only small, with a south-southwest swell at 2ft and a period of 13 seconds, and the energy is moderate (239). The wind is light and offshore from the SW, which is a major plus for clean faces. It’s still marginal, but it’s the first glimpse of hope.

That builds into Tuesday afternoon, August 12th, with a 2ft SW swell and a long 18-second period, packing a solid moderate energy (376). Again, light offshore wind. The long period will give it some punch, but on a beach break like this, it might run a bit straight.

The standout window, and the best bet in this whole run, looks to be the weekend of August 16th and 17th. The swell is finally up to a consistent 3ft to 4ft from the SSW, with a period around 16 seconds. The energy is strong, hitting 892 on Saturday afternoon. This is a solid, long-period groundswell. The catch is the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it won’t be glassy, but it’ll be clean enough. Sunday morning, August 16th, is the pick if you ask me, with a 3ft SSW swell, still light cross-onshore wind, and a score that suggests it’s the best of a marginal bunch. The energy is a strong 554. This is the size where a beginner might start to struggle, but for everyone else, it’s game on.

After that, it fades again. The swell drops back to 3ft and the wind picks up, making it choppy. There’s a brief pulse on Wednesday, August 19th, with a 3ft SSW swell and light offshore wind, giving it a clean look, but it’s not the same energy as the weekend.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The weekend of August 16th-17th is your best shot, with Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning being the highlights. It’s not a classic, but with a bit of patience, there’ll be some fun ones to be had.

Rusty.

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