Columbia St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Howdy, Rusty here, and I’ll give it to you plain – this 16-day stretch at Columbia Street is dead in the water. There’s zero standouts, no days worth chasing, and for a break that’s usually consistent, it’s a rough patch. We’re looking at a long run of tiny, weak waves with messy wind, so don’t get your hopes up.

The overall vibe is all small and poor. Most mornings show clean conditions once in a while, but the swell never pushes past 4 ft (1.1m), and the period is short and weak. The water temp is about normal for the season, nothing weird.

Starting Monday August 17, it’s flat and ugly. Morning has clear skies, a light cross-shore breeze at 6 mph, but the swell is a pathetic 1 ft from the SW with a 4-second period – total windswell trash. Combined energy is only 5, so barely a ripple. By afternoon, wind cranks to 19 mph from the SSW, making it lumpy. Tuesday and Wednesday are the same – tiny 2 ft waves, short-period, and cross or onshore wind. The whole first week is just like that: a couple of clean moments, like Saturday August 22 morning with light cross-offshore and 3 ft swell, but the period is 5 seconds, so it’s junk.

Sunday August 23 morning gives a slight bump – 4 ft from the SSW, period still only 5 seconds, combined energy at 92. Clean with a light cross-offshore, but it’s not surf, it’s a ripple. Then it drops again.

In the second week, around August 26-27, combined energy climbs a bit – 124 on Wednesday 26 morning and 191 on Thursday 27 morning – but swell height is still only 2 ft to 2 ft. The period on the 26th is long at 15 seconds, hinting at groundswell, but it’s from the SE, not the ideal NE direction. Wind is cross-onshore or fresh cross, so the quality is poor. Thursday 27 afternoon cleans up with a light cross-offshore, but the swell is only 3 ft. That long period will just close out straight at a beach break.

From August 28 through September 1, it’s rinse and repeat: tiny 1 ft to 3 ft swell, short to moderate period, cross-onshore wind. A couple of glassy mornings – August 24 with 1 ft and August 31 with 1 ft – but the energy is a joke (36 and 24). You’ll have a flat, clean surface with nothing to ride.

The gap between anything worthwhile is the whole 16 days. There’s no single day with a good recommendation. For a usually consistent spot, this blank run stands out as unusual, but forecasts can shift. For now, leave the board at home.

Rusty

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