Venice Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at what we’ve got here for Venice Pier, and honestly, it’s a tough stretch for surfers. Over the next sixteen days, there really isn’t anything to get excited about. The waves are tiny and the conditions just aren’t coming together for a proper session. If you’re desperate for a paddle, maybe, just maybe, there’s a window or two that could be worth a look, but this is a real flat spell.

Let’s start with Friday the 21st of August. Swell is a pathetic 1ft out of the SSW, with a period of 13 seconds. The combined wave energy is weak at 135. Water temp is sitting at 70°, which is a notable 4° warmer than usual for this time of year. Wind is light, but straight onshore. It’s poor. That sets the tone for the whole week.

Saturday the 22nd sees the swell drop even more, to 1.0ft from the SW. The period is a very long 18 seconds. For a beach break like Venice Pier, that kind of period is a curse – the waves will be straight, gutless, and hard to catch. Energy is a measly 108, and the wind is onshore. Forget it.

Sunday the 23rd of August morning shows a tiny 1ft SW swell at 19 seconds. The energy climbs to a moderate 206, which is the only slight positive. The wind is a light cross-onshore, creating small ripples. The forecast calls it “marginal,” and that’s about right. It’s not surfable, really.

Monday the 24th morning is still a 1ft SW swell, 18 second period. Wind is a glassy 3 mph from the SW, which is onshore but so light it’s almost nothing. Energy is a moderate 239. It’s still marginal. The afternoon wind picks up to 9 mph and the quality goes to poor. This is the closest we get to a “maybe” in the first week.

Tuesday the 25th morning has a 2ft SW swell, 16 second period, with 256 energy. Totally marginal. Tuesday afternoon offers a slight bump: 2ft from the south, 14 second period, but with onshore wind and a score of zero.

Wednesday the 26th morning shows 3ft from the south, 13 seconds, light cross-onshore, 476 energy. This is the peak of the entire outlook in terms of size and energy, but 3ft is still tiny. The wind kills it. It’s marginal at best.

Thursday the 27th, Friday the 28th, and Saturday the 29th all offer similar stories: small swell (2ft to 3ft), onshore or cross-onshore wind, and marginal conditions. A few mornings have glassy wind, but the swell is small and short or long period in all the wrong ways. The best-looking morning of the whole bunch might be Saturday the 29th of August: 2ft SSW swell at 17 seconds, a glassy 3 mph wind that’s cross-onshore, and 372 energy. It’s small and a bit weak, but the light wind might make it look okay for a longboard if you are really keen.

Sunday the 30th through to Saturday the 5th of September is more of the same. Tiny swell, onshore wind. There is a moment on Tuesday the 1st of September where the swell direction shifts to west, but with a period of 6 seconds (choppy windswell) and 3ft height, it’s a messy, poor setup better suited to a kite than a surfboard. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are still flat.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September see SSW swells of 2ft to 2ft with moderate energy (327 to 390), but still with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The period is okay (15-16 seconds), but the wind ruins any chance of clean waves.

So, here’s the honest truth: there are no standouts. The whole 16-day run is a stretch of flat, poor, or marginal surf. The only time that even vaguely catches my eye is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August, with a very small, very long-period swell and almost no wind. It’ll be small, and that period could make it close out, but if you’ve got a log and you’re just after some fresh air and a few knee-high bumps, that’s your best bet. For anyone looking for a real wave, this is a no-go. Crowds are often at Venice Pier, but with waves this bad, you’ll have it to yourself.

Rusty.

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