Dania South Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one to write. I’m looking at the next two weeks, and there’s just no surf to get excited about.

Overall Picture
We’ve got a solid 16-day run on the calendar, but the first decent push of swell is nowhere to be seen. The energy in the water is weak to non-existent, with the combined swell energy bouncing between a pathetic 8 and a max of just 34. That’s all below 100, which in plain English means the ocean is flat. We’re looking at tiny dribbles between 0.6 ft and 2 ft. The only spot with enough detail to even talk about is Dania South Beach, but it’s a struggle.

The Main Break
Dania South Beach is a beginner-friendly beach and reef set-up, inconsistent and exposed to the east. The water temp is sitting at a warm 87°, which is about 1° warmer than usual for this time of year – nothing crazy, just a nice, warm bath.

We start from Tuesday the 18th of August. It’s a grim start. Tuesday afternoon has a tiny 0.6 ft easterly swell with a 10-second period, but it’s blown out by an onshore easterly breeze. The wave comment says it all: poor surf conditions.

The Next Couple of Days
Wednesday the 19th brings a bit of hope in the morning. A light offshore from the northwest and a glassy-looking sea on that tiny 0.6 ft east swell. It’s clean, and you could get a few knee-high rollers, but it’s not really worth paddling out for. The afternoon turns to rubbish with a cross-onshore from the southeast.

Thursday the 20th morning is clean again – light offshore from the west on the same 0.6 ft east swell, but still, it’s just knee-high at best. The afternoon sees a slight bump to 2 ft from the south, but with a shocking 4-second period and a cross-shore wind, it’s junky and messy.

Through the End of August
Friday the 21st through Sunday the 30th is a repetitive cycle of tiny swell, mostly from the east or southeast, with periods between 3 and 9 seconds. The wind is almost always cross or cross-onshore, creating choppy, bumpy conditions. There are a couple of standout moments, though they’re not for surf.

- Sunday morning, 30th of August: We get a glassy session. The wind is basically zero at 3 mph from the south-southeast, and the surface is like a mirror. The swell is only 1.0 ft from the east, so it’s a flat, glassy lake. Good for sitting on a board, not for riding waves.
- Monday morning, 31st of August: Another glassy morning. Dead calm wind, 0 mph from the south. Again, beautiful conditions, but absolutely no power in the water. The combined energy is a weak 15.

Into September
From Tuesday the 1st of September through Wednesday the 2nd of September, it’s more of the same. Tiny 0.6 ft to 1.0 ft east swell, blown out by moderate cross-onshore winds. No surf to be had.

The Verdict
Honestly, for 16 days, this is a blank run. There are no standouts. If you’re a kite surfer, the constant cross and cross-onshore winds on a beach setup might offer some fun on those rare afternoons when the wind picks up, but for us paddle surfers, it’s a no-go. The swell just isn’t there, and the conditions are poor. The only real “best” options are those two glassy mornings on August 30th and 31st, but that’s for a swim, not a surf.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long. But for now, the boards stay in the car.

Stay frothy, Rusty.

Read more