Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next few weeks at Surf City Pier. To be honest, it’s a pretty quiet run for the most part. The swell is small and the wind is often a problem, so you’ll need to be patient and pick your moments.

The week starts off with very small, clean conditions on Tuesday morning, August 18th. We’ve got a tiny 2 ft SE groundswell rolling in with a 12-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the WSW at 3 mph. Water temp is 82°, right on average for this time of year. The combined energy is weak (73), so it’s not powerful, but it’s surfable and the surface will be like a mirror. It’s a good time for a beginner to get a few soft ones, but don’t expect much push.

The rest of the week is a bit of a write-off. Wednesday and Thursday have poor surf with cross-onshore winds and even smaller swell. Friday is clean but the swell drops to 1 ft – barely a ripple.

Then we get a bit of a tease on Sunday, August 23rd. That morning, the swell bumps up to 4 ft from the SSW, with a short 6-second period, and the wind is cross-offshore out of the WSW at 9 mph. The combined energy climbs to a moderate 166, so there’s some life in the water. It’s a beach break setup, so that short period and the cross-off wind could actually keep it reasonably clean. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the most promising session of the whole outlook. For a stronger surfer, it’s worth a look Sunday morning, especially if you want to get a bit of push.

After that, it’s back to small and messy. The following week is full of cross-onshore winds and tiny swell, with a few days of 1 ft to 2 ft, mostly from the SE. The wind is rarely in your favour, and the energy is weak. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday, August 26th, when a long-period SE swell (16 seconds) brings a moderate energy of 105, but the wind is cross-shore and then cross-onshore, making it choppy and hard to ride. The long period will also make it straight and tricky at the beach break.

The last few days of August into early September are a real grind. Tiny swell, poor conditions, and the wind is mostly onshore. There’s a glassy morning on September 2nd, but the swell is a pathetic 1 ft. It’s a long, flat stretch with very little to recommend.

Bottom line: The standout is Sunday morning, August 23rd, with 4 ft SSW swell and clean cross-off wind. Get in the water then. Everything else is a struggle for scraps. Keep the board waxed and hope the forecasts change. The consistent nature of the break means it won’t stay this quiet forever.

- Rusty

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