Venice Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening for the next 16 days. It’s gonna be a tough one, I’ll be honest with you. The water’s warm, but the surf is a struggle.

Right now, the ocean is pumping out a weak, messy energy (321) at Venice Pier. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the southwest, but the period is a long 17 seconds. That’s a groundswell, which usually means cleaner shapes, but the wind is a light cross-shore from the SSE. The water is a very warm 72°, which is a massive 7° above normal for this time of year – that’s seriously unusual, feels like a bath out there.

Thursday morning is the closest thing we have to a window, but it’s poor. The wave comment says it’s marginal, and the score is a 1. It’s not worth paddling out for.

Things get worse from there. From Friday morning through to Sunday the 20th of September, it’s a grim run of “poor surf conditions” with scores of 0. The swell is tiny, never getting above 3ft, and the wind is nearly always onshore or cross-onshore, just ruining what little shape the swell has. The only exception is a few mornings with a light cross-shore breeze, but the swell is so small and weak (energy values drop to 113-281) that it’s not worth a session.

The energy is weak for the entire run. The combined energy values are all three-digit numbers, which is moderate wave energy, but the quality is just not there. The onshore wind is the killer.

Now, there is a tiny glimmer of hope. On Monday the 21st of September, the energy jumps up to 510, which is the strongest we’ll see. The swell is 3ft from the southwest, with a period of 17 seconds, and it’s a morning session with a light cross-onshore breeze. The score is a 2, which is the highest of the entire 16 days. It’s still only marginal, but if you’re desperate, that Monday morning is your best bet. It’s the one standout, but it’s a long way off and it’s not exactly firing.

Don’t expect any clean, glassy conditions. The offshore wind direction is NE, but we never see it. The wind is always cross, cross-on, or onshore.

Honestly, this is a tough outlook. The consistent onshore wind and tiny swell mean there’s nothing to get excited about. If you’re a beginner, even the 2ft swell is manageable, but the wind will make it a chop fest. The kite surfers might have a better time with the onshore wind and small waves, but for us paddle surfers, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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