Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Surf City Pier.

Honestly, if you’re lookin’ for a proper session, this stretch is gonna be a tough sell. The whole 16-day run is a flat, windy mess, with only a few moments that are *surfable* but nothin’ to get excited about. The water temp is sittin’ at 83°, which is about average for the time of year—nothing unusual there.

The first real chance to wet a line comes Tuesday morning, the 11th of August. We get a tiny 3 ft swell from the SSW, period of 5 seconds, so it’s weak and short-period. The wind’s a light cross-offshore from the WSW at 6 mph, so conditions are clean. But the energy is only 54, so don’t expect much push. It’s small, weak, and just barely surfable. That’s the best we’ve got for the first few days.

Wednesday morning the 12th is glassy—wind from the NW at 3 mph, dead calm. Swell drops to 2 ft from the SW, period still 5 seconds. It’s clean, but the wave energy is only 48. You could paddle out and enjoy the quiet, but it’s pretty ordinary.

Then we hit a long dry spell. From Thursday the 13th through Sunday the 16th, the wind’s mostly cross or cross-on, and the swell barely moves. It’s all poor surf conditions. The energy values stay under 100, and the period is short. Not worth a look.

Monday the 17th is still poor, but by Tuesday morning the 18th, something changes. The swell period jumps to 15 seconds—that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy hits 186, which is moderate. Swell height is only 2 ft from the SE, but with that long period, there’s shape. The wind is light cross-off from the WNW at 3 mph, so it’s clean. This is a standout for the period, but it’s tiny. It’ll be glassy, clean, and the sets will be spaced out, but you’ll be fighting for a small wave. This is a good one for a longboard or a funboard if you’ve got the patience.

Wednesday the 19th sees energy climb to 293 with a 3 ft swell from the SE at 12 seconds—still moderate energy. But the wind is howlin’ cross-on from the E at 16 mph, so it’s choppy. The swell is there, but the wind ruins it. This is a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle session.

The rest of the run into the 25th is more of the same: small swell, poor wind, and low energy. There’s a brief moment Monday morning the 24th with glassy conditions and 2 ft, but it’s weak and short-period. Not worth changin’ plans for.

So, bottom line: the only real standout is Tuesday morning, August 18th. That long-period groundswell, light offshore wind, and clean conditions make it the pick of the litter, even if it’s small. For the rest, it’s a whole lot of nothin’.

Rusty.

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