Broadway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at Broadway. I’ve got to be straight with you – this 16-day stretch is a tough one for paddle surfing. The first real event we see is on Friday the 4th, but it’s tiny. We’re talking about a 1ft swell from the southeast, and the combined wave energy is a weak 13. The water is warm though, at 77°F, and the anomaly is 5°F warmer than normal, which is a standout for this spot. That’s very unusual for this time of year.

Friday morning (4th) kicks it off with a 1ft SE swell and a cross-offshore wind from the northwest at 16 mph. The waves are clean, but it’s just too small to get excited about. The energy is weak (13). The afternoon doesn’t improve much – 1ft with a cross-off breeze and energy of 22. Still poor.

Saturday the 5th is even smaller. The morning has 0.7ft from the ESE, cross-off wind at 9 mph, and energy of 10. The afternoon goes glassy with zero wind, but the swell is only 0.7ft and the period is short at 8 seconds. The combined energy is only 12. Not much to work with.

Sunday the 6th shows a tiny bump. The morning brings 2ft from the east, but the period is a terrible 3 seconds – that’s pure wind chop. The wind is cross-off at 16 mph, so it’s clean, but the combined energy is just 11. The afternoon is a bit bigger at 2ft, still short period (5 seconds), with a cross wind at 16 mph creating a cross-chop. Energy is 24.

Monday the 7th: morning has 2ft from the east, period of 8 seconds, light cross-off breeze at 6 mph. Clean, but weak (38 energy). The afternoon turns onshore from the south at 9 mph, with a 1ft swell from the east and a longer 10-second period. The energy is 35, but the onshore wind messes with the quality.

From Tuesday the 8th through Thursday the 12th, it’s a real dry spell. Tiny swells from 0.3ft to 2ft, mostly short periods, and often onshore or cross-on winds. The energy is consistently low, staying below 40. There’s a stretch of several days here with nothing worth paddling for.

Then on the 14th of September, Monday morning shows a 4ft swell from the southwest, but the period is only 4 seconds. It’s cross-shore from the west at 12 mph, creating a cross-chop. The combined energy is 60, which is still weak to moderate. The afternoon is a letdown, dropping to 1ft.

The best chance in the whole period looks like Tuesday the 16th morning. The swell is 0.7ft from the ESE, but the wind is offshore from the north at 9 mph. The period is a decent 9 seconds, and the conditions are described as “gentle offshore and clean.” The combined energy is only 14 though, so it’s still very weak.

Wednesday the 17th morning has a 1ft swell from the ENE with a 10-second period and a cross-off wind from the east. That’s 32 energy and clean conditions.

Friday the 20th morning shows a 0.7ft swell from the east, a 10-second period, and a fresh offshore wind from the north-northwest at 19 mph. It’s clean, but the energy is only 19.

Bottom line: Broadway is an advanced spot, and it’s consistent, but the entire 16-day window is plagued by tiny swells and poor surf quality. There are no standout days. The biggest swell is only 4ft on the 9th, but that comes with a short period and cross-onshore wind, making it choppy. The water is much warmer than normal, but that’s the only highlight. For paddle surfing, this is a write-off. If you’re keen, the cleanest windows are the offshore days in the second week, but you’ll be scratching for waves. This setup might actually look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Rusty

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