San Pancho (San Francisco) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Been looking at the charts for San Pancho and we've got a solid run of fun waves on the horizon. The water is toasty, way warmer than usual for this time of year at 89°F, so you can leave the thick rubber at home.

The pattern for the next two weeks is all about clean, small-to-medium groundswell. The mornings are where it's at, almost every day delivering light offshore or glassy conditions. The afternoons are a write-off with onshore wind and choppy surf, so set your alarm.

Jumping in on Monday August 24th, we’ve got a clean start. The swell is small, only 2ft from the SW with a nice 12-second period, energy is moderate (315). But with a light cross-offshore breeze, it’ll be clean. This is the pattern for the rest of the week: small surf that’s perfectly rideable on a log or a funboard. Tuesday and Wednesday are the same story – small SW swell, 2ft, with clean mornings.

Thursday the 28th is where things start to get a little more interesting. Friday morning, August 28th, we see an uptick to 3ft from the SW, energy jumping up to 452, and a true offshore wind. That’s a good sign.

Now, keep your eye on Saturday August 29th. That’s the first real standout. Saturday morning is looking like the pick of the first week. 4ft of SW groundswell, a 16-second period, and the wind is predicted to go glassy. That’s magic. The wave energy is getting solid at 762. It won't be huge, but for a reef break like San Pancho that prefers a clean WSW swell, this is about as perfect as a small day gets. It might get a bit crowded as it’s a spot that does see crowds sometimes, but for conditions like those, it’s worth it.

There’s a bit of a lull in the middle of the following week, but don’t sleep on the start of September. The long-range outlook has some serious punch. Tuesday September 1st and Wednesday September 2nd keep the mornings clean.

But the real standout of the entire 16-day window is Friday morning, September 4th. This is a week and a half out, so it’s promising but not a guarantee, but the models are screaming. We’re looking at 4ft of SW swell, a 17-second period, with glassy conditions. The energy readings are strong at 943. That’s a proper groundswell with some power behind it. For a reef break like this that loves a long-period SW groundswell, that’s going to produce some seriously fun, lined-up waves. This is the one you want to call in sick for.

The forecast then settles back into a nice rhythm with clean mornings and small, clean surf through the end of the run on September 8th. Overall, it’s a great stretch. A few flyers in the morning, then the wind messes it up in the arvo. Surf’s up!

- Rusty

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