Venice Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's be straight with you—Venice Pier isn't looking like much of a winner in this 16-day window. We've got tiny swell and mostly onshore or cross-onshore wind messing things up. The water temp is sitting at 74°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year (anomaly of 9°), so at least a dip in the ocean won't be a shock.

Right out of the gate, Wednesday afternoon, we've got a messy 2ft SSW swell with a 12-second period. Moderate breeze onshore means it's choppy and poor. The combined energy is low at just 209. No point paddling out.

Thursday morning offers a tiny upswing—a 1ft SW swell but with a long 15-second period, which is promising for shape, but the energy is weak (198). Light cross-shore wind at 6 mph gives the best chance for a clean surface, but it's still a marginal call at best. Thursday afternoon goes back onshore with a 2ft swell and 305 energy.

Friday morning is the first true stand-out option in this whole forecast. A 3ft SSW swell with a 17-second period (groundswell) and a combined energy pushing moderate at 443. The wind is light and cross-shore at 6 mph from the SSE. That light cross-shore means clean, glassy conditions on the sets. This is about as good as it gets here for the next two weeks. For a beginner friendly spot like Venice Pier, the size is perfect. Just know you'll likely be sharing it with others, as it's often crowded.

From Friday afternoon onward, it's a long stretch of mediocrity. The swell holds around 3ft to 3ft through the weekend, but the wind keeps swinging onshore (SW or WSW at 9-12 mph), blowing out the surface. The combined energy stays in the moderate 300-473 range, but with onshore wind, it's choppy and uninviting. The swell period drops from 14-16 seconds down to 11 seconds by Wednesday the 9th, losing all that long-period quality.

Saturday morning (September 5) offers a slight glimmer with a 3ft swell and light 3 mph wind, but it's cross-onshore, so expect small wind ripples. Still a marginal day.

By the second week, it gets even smaller. From September 10 onward, the swell drops to 2ft-2ft, though some pulses of 16-18 second period show up on Thursday morning (Sep 10) and Monday morning (Sep 14). The problem is the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface messy. The combined energy drops back into the weak 117-220 range for most days. Friday morning (Sep 11) has a light cross-shore wind again with a 2ft 16-second period swell, but the energy is only 220—another marginal session at best.

The final days are tiny. September 17 has a 1ft SSW swell with a very long 21-second period (273 energy), but with onshore wind, those long-period lines will just get blown out before they break.

Honestly, if you're in the area, aim for Friday morning, September 4. That's the cleanest window with the best swell quality. Everything else is a gamble on a bad hand. This kind of flat, windy run is pretty normal for the area, so don't get too bummed—forecasts can change, and it never stays poor forever.

Stay patient,
Rusty

Read more