Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First off, we’ve got a long stretch of flat, choppy, or just plain messy conditions ahead. The next week and a half is a write-off for any decent surf at Surf City Pier. We’re looking at a 10-day gap from the start of the period with basically nothing worth paddling out for. The wind is wrong, the swell is tiny, and the energy is weak. The water temp is sitting at 82°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so that’s not the issue.

The first real flicker of life shows up on Tuesday morning, August 18th. We’ve got a tiny 2ft southeast swell, but the magic word here is “glassy.” The wind is dead calm, so the surface will be like a mirror. The energy is still low at 97, and the period is a long 12 seconds, which means more of a groundswell feel – better for a point or reef, but at a sandbar it might roll through a bit straight. Still, you might snag a clean little waist-high wave if you’re patient. It’s not a standout, just the only real option in a bad run.

Things start to look a little more interesting as we push into the second week. Wednesday morning, August 26th, the swell period jumps to 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The swell height is only 1ft, but that combination of long-period SE swell and a light cross-offshore wind from the SW means it could be surprisingly clean and lined up for the more experienced crew. The energy reads 96, which is still on the lower side, but the quality of the wave shape might make up for it. Keep your expectations in check, but it’s the most promising looking morning in that whole stretch.

Then, heading into Thursday, August 27th and Friday, August 28th, we finally see the swell bump up. Thursday morning has 3ft of SE swell at 12 seconds, with a light ENE breeze that’s just slightly cross-on. The energy hits 243, so there’s some solid push behind it. It’s still a bit onshore, but it’s workable. Friday morning, August 28th, is the real standout for the whole 16-day run. We get 4ft of easterly swell, period is a short 6 seconds, so it’s a windswell, but the wind is glassy – dead calm. That means clean, fun-size waves peeling down the beach. The energy is 170, so it’s a moderate, playful amount of juice. This is the morning to circle on the calendar. It’s not huge, so suitable for most, and with the glassy conditions, it’ll be a joy.

Saturday morning, August 29th, is also glassy with 4ft of easterly swell, but the energy drops to 112, so it’s not as punchy. Good for a session if you missed Friday, but Friday is the pick.

*Note: Surf City Pier is very consistent, so this quiet spell is a bit of a bummer, but by the end of the window we’re finally seeing some life. Keep an eye on the forecasts, it often doesn’t stay this flat for long.*

Rusty.

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