Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into the outlook for the next 16 days. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch for our local sandbar at Surf City Pier. The overall pattern is showing a real lack of any decent swell and onshore or cross-shore winds are the story for most of the run. We’re looking at a long dry spell with very little to get excited about.

The first half of the month is a write-off. The water temperature is sitting right around 83°, which is spot on for this time of year, so at least it’s warm, but that’s about the only positive. The combined swell energy is weak, mostly in the 40 to 60 range (weak energy), and the waves are small, blown out, and messy. The best we can say is that on the morning of Wednesday the 12th, there’s a chance of a clean little 3ft wave with a light cross-offshore breeze from the WSW. That’s surfable, but very ordinary. The swell is coming from the SSW with a short period of 5 seconds, so it’s weak and sectiony. Not a standout.

The only real glimmer, and I mean a tiny one, shows up on the morning of Friday the 14th of August. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and there’s a 3ft SSW swell with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy bumps up to 116 (moderate wave energy). It’s still not a big swell, and the period is short, but with glassy conditions, it’ll be the cleanest the pier looks in the entire 16 days. The swell direction is S, which is good for the exposed setup here. Expect it to be small and soft, but for a beginner session, it’s the best on offer. The clean conditions make it the pick of a very poor bunch.

The following Saturday morning, the 15th of August, is similar but not as good. You’ll get a 3ft SSW swell with a 6-second period and a light cross-offshore wind from the WNW, keeping it clean. The combined energy is 109 (moderate wave energy). It’s a secondary option, but the glassy conditions on the 14th are the true standout.

After that, it’s back to small, choppy, and onshore conditions through the weekend and into the start of the next week. The morning of the 17th of August offers a clean 1ft wave with a very long period of 8 seconds from the SE, but it’s tiny. The combined energy is just 48 (weak energy). Not worth paddling out for.

Overall, there’s a long gap of poor to non-existent surf, then a couple of clean but small windows on the 14th and 15th. The 14th of August morning is your best bet, but keep expectations low. If you’re a beginner, that’s your window. For anyone else, it’s a waiting game. It’s a tough run, but it never stays this flat forever.

Rusty.

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