Daytona Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve got a tough one for you today. Looking at the 16-day window for Daytona Beach, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a real quiet stretch. We’ve got a long gap with basically nothing on offer before a glimmer of something shows up later.

We kick things off Sunday morning, August 9th, and it’s a flat start. The swell is tiny at 2ft from the east with a short period, and the combined energy is only 44 – that’s real weak. The wind is a light cross-shore, but the waves just aren't there. This pretty much sets the tone for the next week and a half. Through to around Tuesday, August 18th, the surf stays poor, with heights rarely touching 2ft and most of the time hanging around 1ft to 2ft. The wind is mostly cross or light offshore, but the swell just doesn’t have any push. There's a long gap of several days with no real recommendations at all.

Now, things get a little more interesting starting Wednesday morning, August 19th. We finally get a mention of “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” The swell jumps to 1ft from the east with a long period of 13 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell hint. The combined energy is still low at 91, and it's light offshore wind, so it’s clean. This is the closest we get to a standout. It’s not huge, but for this window, it’s the best on offer. The direction from the east matches the optimal direction for the break, which is a positive.

Thursday morning, August 20th, keeps this little run going. Swell is 2ft from the east at 11 seconds, with 114 moderate energy in the water. Light cross-offshore wind keeps it clean. The water temp is 83°, about average for the time of year. But the surf is still small.

The last notable day is Friday afternoon, August 21st. We see 3ft from the east-southeast at 9 seconds, with a combined energy of 141 – the highest in the entire period. Light cross-offshore wind keeps the surface tidy. It’s still small, but it’s the cleanest, most energetic wave of the entire outlook.

Look, Daytona Beach is a sandbar spot, exposed to the east, and it’s rated for beginners. The swell never gets above 5ft, so it’s never too big for learning. The crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have company. For most of this 16-day run, the setup looks more interesting for a paddle than anything else, even the kite gear might struggle with the tiny waves. It’s a blank run, and that’s not unusual for the area in the summer lull.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change, but for now, the late mornings around August 19th to 21st are your best bet for a clean, tiny wave.

Rusty.

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