Venice Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Venice Pier. It’s a bit of a slow start, so bear with me.

Right now, the water is sitting at 69°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a good sign for a long session without a shiver.

The first whisper of surf worth talking about doesn’t arrive until the morning of Sunday, July 12th. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the SSW, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which brings decent shape potential, but the energy is only moderate (210). The wind is light from the SW, which is onshore here, so it’s gonna be a bit bumpy. The call is marginal, and honestly, it’s not one to get excited about. It’s pretty much a board-float day for a beginner.

The week that follows is a write-off. Monday the 13th through to the end of Saturday the 18th is just a series of tiny, choppy, or onshore slop. No recommendations worth paddling out for. The swell stays below 2ft most days, with cross-on or onshore winds spoiling the little bumps that show up. Kite surfers might get a look-in on the windier afternoons, but for paddle surfing, it’s a drought.

We finally get a pulse of energy on the morning of Saturday, July 18th. The swell bumps up to 2ft from the SSE, with a period of 14 seconds. The energy jumps to 437, which is a solid moderate. The wind is light from the SW, but it’s onshore, so it’s still not clean. The Saturday afternoon is a no-go with 15 mph onshore winds ruining the 3ft swell.

The next week offers a few more sessions, but none are standouts. The mornings of July 22nd (Wednesday) and July 23rd (Thursday) see the swell build to 3ft and 4ft, both from the SSW to S. The wind is light cross-onshore, creating some small wind ripples, but the surf is still marginal. The energy on the 23rd morning is a strong 685, and the swell height is 4ft, which is a fun size for a beginner-friendly spot. But the light cross-onshore wind is the main issue – it’s just not glassy.

If I had to pick a best bet in this whole 16-day window, it would be the morning of Thursday, July 23rd. The swell is 4ft from the S, with a period of 15 seconds. That’s a solid groundswell with good energy (685). The wind is light from the S at 6 mph, which is cross-on. It’s the closest we get to being clean, and the size is ideal for the beginners that usually crowd this spot.

The final few days from July 24th to the 27th drop back down. The 24th sees a 4ft swell but strong onshore winds ruin the afternoon. The 25th and 26th are back to small, messy conditions. The 27th is a cross-on chop with tiny waves.

So, to sum it up: the next two weeks are lean. The only real window for a decent, if not perfect, surf is the morning of Thursday, July 23rd. It won’t be epic, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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