Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m looking at the charts and it’s a bit of a heartbreaker. We’ve got a long stretch of flat, choppy, and messy conditions ahead. The water is sitting at a warm 83°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so that’s one nice thing, but it’s not much comfort when there’s barely a wave to ride.

The first real chance of anything worth paddling out for is going to be Monday morning, 20th July, at Surf City Pier. It’s a sandbar break, very consistent, and it’s exposed to the swell. We’re looking at a small 4ft swell pushing in from the SSW, with a period of only 6 seconds. That’s short-period, windswell stuff, so it’ll be a bit weak and crumbly with combined energy only hitting 204 (moderate). The key here is the wind: a light WSW breeze at 6 mph, blowing cross-offshore. That’s going to keep the surface clean. It’s not pumping, but it’s the best we’ve got going. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have a few others around, but nothing crazy.

After that little window, it goes back downhill. The wind swings onshore or cross-shore for most of the following days, and the swell drops off. The next morning that even looks surfable is Thursday the 23rd. A 5ft S swell with a 7-second period, and a 9 mph NNE cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 214 (moderate), but the forecast says it’s marginal and questionable with the tide. Could be worth a look if you’re desperate, but don’t expect much.

We then hit a real flat spell. From the 24th through to the 26th, we are talking tiny waves under 3ft, with cross-offshore winds on the 25th and 26th mornings that keep things clean, but there’s just no power. Combined energy readings are in the weak 40s to 70s. It’s basically a lake.

The 27th Monday morning shows a little pulse back to 4ft from the SSW at 7 seconds, with a light cross-shore wind, but the energy is moderate at 220 and the forecast is again marginal. It’s a tease.

The rest of the run into the end of July and the start of August is more of the same: tiny swells, mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds. The only highlight is a glassy morning on the 29th of July with a 2ft S swell, but that’s basically a flat day. The 2nd of August Sunday morning is also glassy, but with a 1ft SE swell, it's just a paddle.

Bottom line: The standout morning is Monday the 20th. It’s not the swell of the summer, but with that clean cross-offshore wind and a bit of energy, it’s your best shot. Everything else is a write-off until we see what the next system brings. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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