Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I'm looking at the Surf City Pier stretch for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, right now, things are looking pretty flat and sloppy. There's a bit of swell on the way, but it's going to be a long wait for anything decent.

Right out of the gate, we've got a bit of a nothing burger. The first real surf we see is on Sunday morning, the 19th of July. The waves are around 5ft from the SSW, but with a short, weak 6-second period. The combined energy is weak (246), and while the wind is a clean cross-offshore, the report says it's marginal. It's not worth getting excited about. That afternoon, the wind picks up and it's all over the place.

Monday through Wednesday are a write-off. The surf is small, the wind is messy, and it's just a bad time to be in the water.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, the 22nd, we get a flash of something. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the SSW, still a short period, but the energy is the highest we'll see (246). More importantly, the wind goes clean cross-offshore again. The report says "expect good surf conditions." This is the best looking window in the whole outlook, but it's still a short-period swell, so it'll be a bit fat and crumbly. It's the only real standout in the first week.

Thursday morning, the 23rd, offers a complete change. The wind goes glassy, but the swell drops back to a tiny 3ft from the S. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The rest of the 23rd and all of the 24th through the 29th are just a sad story of small, weak, and choppy waves. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, killing any chance of a clean wave.

We finally get a couple of glassy mornings on the 30th of July and the 31st of July, but the swell is so small (2ft and 2ft) that it's barely a ripple. The water temperature is a warm 83°, which is about average for this time of year.

Heading into the first week of August, it's more of the same. Small, weak swells and unfriendly winds. The 3rd of August morning offers a clean cross-offshore wind on a tiny 2ft SSW swell, but it's just not enough juice to bother with.

So, the honest truth: the only real, though brief, highlight is Wednesday afternoon, the 22nd of July. That 6ft SSW swell with clean cross-offshore wind is your best bet. Everything else is a series of small, choppy, and forgettable days. There are long gaps of 3-4 days with nothing worth paddling out for. Get your gear ready for that Wednesday afternoon, and maybe don't hold your breath for the rest of the fortnight.

Rusty.

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