Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks for Surf City Pier.

It’s a tough start, I gotta be honest with ya. The first week and a half is looking pretty flat and messy. We’re talking about a long stretch from August 10th right through to the 20th with no real surf to get excited about. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and it’s mostly cross or onshore winds. There’s a few mornings where the wind lays down, like Wednesday the 12th morning with glassy conditions, but the swell is only 1.0ft – that’s barely a ripple. The combined swell energy is a weak 18. You’re not missing anything.

Now, we start to see a little pulse pushing through around Monday the 17th. The morning shows a clean 2ft swell from the SE with a period of 10 seconds and a cross-offshore wind. The wave energy is still low at 92, but it’s a step in the right direction. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon gets chopped up by a 12 mph southerly.

The real standout, as far as it goes, appears to be on Wednesday the 19th. The morning is showing some decent potential. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the SE with a period of 12 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy hits 212 (moderate), and the wind is a light cross-shore from the ENE, keeping things fairly clean. The water temp is about 83°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year, nothing unusual. That’s your best bet for a paddle, but keep in mind it’s still a marginal forecast. The afternoon turns a bit onshore and messy.

If you’re a beginner, don’t even bother until that 19th. The swell is too small for a proper session earlier, and when it does show up, it’s never over 5ft, so it’s all manageable for most. Just don’t expect any barrels.

A few days later, on Saturday the 22nd, we get another flicker of hope. The afternoon is glassy with a 3ft swell from the SSW. It’s short period (5 seconds), but with glassy conditions, it’s clean. The energy is still weak at 70 though. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

The rest of the window into late August is more of the same – small, short-period slop, with onshore winds. The final few days are just a write-off. So, to sum it up: if you’re desperate for a wave, target the morning of Wednesday the 19th. That’s your best shot. For anything else, you’re better off waiting for the next system.

Rusty, signing off.

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