Surf Forecasts:
Crossroads surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 11s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period, SE swell with 66 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 11s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Crossroads this week:
The surf forecast for Crossroads over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Crossroads in the next 16 days are 1.2m 5s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Crossroads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be honest: the next couple of weeks at Crossroads (Lake) are looking pretty flat and uninspiring. There’s a whole lot of small, weak surf on the menu, and most of it isn’t worth getting wet for. The first real glimpse of anything decent doesn’t show up until late in the month, so you might want to plan for a wait.
Right now, it’s tiny. Tuesday and Wednesday are showing knee-high dribble, maybe 1 to 2 feet, with weak swell energy sitting between 38 and 57. The wind is light, and we’ll see glassy patches, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride.
The rest of this week and the start of next is more of the same—small, weak, and mostly poor. We get some cross-offshore and even offshore wind, like Friday morning when it drops to about 1 foot, but the energy is almost non-existent. Saturday afternoon sees the wind pick up to 15 mph from the southwest, but the swell is down to less than 1 foot. Not worth the paddle. Water temp is pretty normal for this time of year.
We do see a pulse of long-period energy sneaking in on Wednesday the 26th. The morning is still tiny at 1 feet, but the period jumps to 16 seconds, and the energy starts to build, hitting 114. That’s a sign of something more. In the afternoon, the energy goes through the roof, spiking to 748, but the wave height only bumps to 3 feet. The period is still a very long 16 seconds, and the wind is cross-shore. This is a tricky one—long-period groundswell like that can be a bit straight and walled on a sandbar, so the shape might not be ideal. Still, it’s the first real sign of life.
From there, Thursday the 27th looks like the clear standout of the whole forecast. The swell builds to about 2 feet, with a period of 12-13 seconds, and the energy is moderate, around 182-189. The wind is offshore from the WSW, light and clean, which should make for some tidy, lined-up waves on the sandbar. This is the day to circle on the calendar. It’s not big by any means, but it’s the best combination of size, period, and clean conditions we get in this whole window. The spot is exposed, so it’ll pick up whatever’s out there, and with that offshore flow, it could be a lot of fun.
The Friday after, the 28th, still has some rideable waves—around 2 feet with an 10-11 second period and light cross-offshore winds—but the energy is fading.
The first week of September looks grim. The swell drops back to around 2 feet, the period shortens to 8 seconds, and the wind turns onshore from the east, making it choppy and pretty much unsurfable. The energy is weak, and the outlook is poor. This is a classic flat spell for the area.
So, to sum it up: you’re looking at a long gap of small, weak surf, but Thursday the 27th is the best bet—a clean, offshore day with a bit more push. It’s not a monster, but it’s the standout in a pretty quiet period. Keep your eyes on that one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 35°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 5 | E 9 | E 13 | SE 5 | E 13 | SE 5 | SE 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | 26 | 25 | 56 | 52 | 55 | 26 | 25 | 55 | 14 | 13 | 45 | 23 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 22 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:31AM1.47m | 1:05PM1.62m | 1:21AM1.37m | 1:59PM1.57m | 2:16AM1.28m | 2:56PM1.53m | 3:14AM1.23m | 3:56PM1.52m | 4:16AM1.21m | 4:58PM1.54m | 5:18AM1.23m | 5:53PM1.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:44AM0.07m | 7:32PM0.23m | 7:38AM0.15m | 8:32PM0.29m | 8:35AM0.20m | 9:31PM0.33m | 9:30AM0.23m | 10:29PM0.34m | 10:26AM0.24m | 11:28PM0.33m | 11:24AM0.23m | 00:21AM0.29m | |||||||
— | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
8:05 | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | 9 | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 33 | 32 | 35 | 34 | 31 | 34 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 24 | 25 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 35 | 34 | 38 | 35 | 34 | 36 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 29 | 34 | 36 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | NE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | SE 5 | SE 5 | E 13 | SE 5 | SE 5 | E 8 | SE 5 |
20 | 26 | 25 | 56 | 52 | 1 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 23 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 22 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | E 12 | ESE 11 | SSE 3 | — | NE 6 | E 5 | — | — | E 7 | — | E 15 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 13 | E 9 | E 8 | E 12 | E 8 |
2 | 11 | 23 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | E 6 | E 5 | — | E 16 | — | E 7 | E 14 | E 14 | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 |
1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 2 | W 3 | — | WSW 2 | — | ESE 9 | SSW 3 | — | SE 8 | SSW 3 | WSW 3 | ESE 8 | — | — | SE 3 | WSW 2 | SSW 2 | SE 5 | — |
1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 55 | 7 | — | 55 | 3 | 1 | 45 | — | — | 11 | 1 | 1 | 12 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 565 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 588 | 717 | 1209 | 2013 | 1588 | 717 | 0 | 0 | 474 | 227 | 52 | 17 | 28 | 24 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Florida | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Crossroads Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Crossroads provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Crossroads can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Crossroads surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Crossroads) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Crossroads may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Crossroads is 3 km (2 miles) from Palm Valley. If you plan a vacation in North Florida, look for hotels and other accommodation in Palm Valley. Palm Valley has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











