Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me tell you what we’ve got cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m lookin’ at this forecast and it’s a tough one. For the better part of the next 16 days, the surf is just a bust. We’re staring down a long stretch of nothing but small, weak, and messy conditions. The first real window of anything rideable doesn’t show up until Saturday morning, the 22nd of August, and even that’s more of a tease than a treat.

Up until then, from now through Friday the 21st, it’s all small 1ft windswell from the SE, mostly blown out or clean but with zero energy. The combined wave energy is barely a whisper, sitting between 18 and 29 (weak energy). It’s not worth paddling out for.

Let’s start with the only real mention we get. Surf City Pier (sandbar) is our sole spot. On Saturday morning, the 22nd of August, we finally see a pulse. It’s a 3ft S swell, but with a short period of 5 seconds. The wind goes glassy, which is a beautiful thing, and the combined energy jumps to 77, still weak. That morning window is your best bet. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The waves won’t have much punch, and that short period means they’ll be a bit crumbly. Still, a glassy morning on a 3ft wave is better than nothing.

The rest of that weekend and into the week is a write-off. By Monday morning the 24th, we get a little clean-up with a cross-offshore wind from the NNE, but the swell is still a weak 3ft at 6 seconds. It’s clean, but the energy is next to nothing (76). After that, we drop back into the doldrums with tiny 1ft to 2ft junk for days.

Now, looking way out, there’s a flicker of hope. On Tuesday morning, the 1st of September, we see a 2ft SE swell with a longer period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 182 (moderate). The wind is light from the S, so it’s cross-on but light. That’s a bit of a tease, but it’s still pretty small. Then on Wednesday the 2nd, we get a 1ft SE swell with a 12-second period, which is a long period groundswell, but the energy is weak (87) and the wind is onshore. That long period on a sandbar at a beach break? It’s gonna be straight and shifty.

The only other standout is Thursday, the 3rd of September, afternoon. We get a 2ft SE swell at 11 seconds, with a moderate 171 energy. The wind is a cross-shore from the NE. That’s a better look, but still not a classic.

The bottom line: If you’re desperate, Saturday morning, the 22nd of August, is your only real shot. It’s not the kind of day you tell your mates about, but it’s a chance to get wet. The crowd factor at Surf City Pier is "sometimes," so you might have some company. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no worries there.

Everything else is a bunch of poor surf conditions. For the next two weeks, it’s a waiting game. We’ve got a 10-day gap of nothing good, then a few poor options. Hang in there, the forecasts can change.

Stay wet,
Rusty.

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