Venice Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for Venice Pier is looking pretty grim. The overall pattern is just a long stretch of weak, onshore-affected swell, with very little to get excited about. The water temperature is way warmer than usual for this time of year, coming in at 72°F with a massive anomaly of 7°F warmer than average – that’s very unusual, and you’ll be sweating in your wetsuit, but it won’t help the waves.

Right from the start on Thursday, July 30th, it’s a no-go. We’ve got a small 2ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is blowing straight onshore from the southwest, making a mess of things. The combined swell energy is a moderate 363, but with that wind, the surf is just poor. Friday the 31st isn’t any better – still onshore, tiny 3ft swell, and the energy drops to 299. Honestly, not worth paddling out.

From Saturday, August 1st, through to Thursday, August 7th, it’s a real desert. The swell just trickles along, never getting above 2ft, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the south. This creates those light wind ripples, and the surf is consistently poor. The combined energy is weak, often dipping below 100. There’s a gap of multiple days here with absolutely nothing worthwhile.

Now, looking way out, there’s a glimmer of something on Friday, August 7th morning. The swell picks up a bit to 1ft, but the period jumps to a very long 19 seconds from the SSW. That’s a groundswell, and while it suggests some energy, it’s so small it’s barely breaking. The combined energy is 231, which is moderate, but the wind is cross-onshore. The forecast says it’s marginal, and I’d say it’s more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer given the setup. The same pattern continues into the weekend of August 8th and 9th – tiny, long-period swell with cross-onshore winds. It’s just not coming together.

The second week, from August 10th to the 14th, is more of the same. We see some slightly bigger swells around 2ft, with very long periods (18-20 seconds), and the combined energy gets up to 265. But it’s still onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf quality is listed as poor or marginal. There’s no standout day here. The wind is often light, but it’s just not the right direction to clean up this exposed beach break. For a spot that’s exposed to SW swell, we’re just not getting the right wind to go with it.

So, the best on offer? There isn’t one. It’s a flat, wind-affected run. Venice Pier is a beginner-friendly sandbar, but with the swell this small and the wind this wrong, even the beginners should stay home. Given the lack of consistency, this blank run is pretty normal for the area during this time of year, but it’s still a bummer. Keep your eyes on the charts, but for now, I’d take the board off the car.

Rusty.

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