Daytona Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are going to be a real test of patience for anyone looking to get wet around here. We've got a long, flat spell on the cards before things start to look a little more interesting. Don't get too excited though, it's going to be a slow burn.

The water is sitting at about 82°, which is actually a touch cooler than we'd expect for this time of year – a bit of a notable shift, nothing wild, but worth grabbing a slightly thicker suit for the early sessions.

Right off the bat, and for the next several days, we're looking at pretty much nothing. The swell is tiny, the periods are short, and the wind is all over the shop. We're talking ankle-snappers at best, with a lot of cross-onshore chop making things messy. That weak energy is all over the place, with numbers around the 18-24 mark telling the story. It’s not worth the paddle. This blank run looks set to hold through the weekend and into next week.

The first real glimpse of hope arrives on Monday, August 17th. The morning session looks like the pick of the entire run. We've got a light offshore breeze keeping things clean and the swell is still small, but it's more organized. It's not going to stop the town, but it’s a surfable wave and the clean conditions will make it feel better than it is. It’s the first time we get a bit of a pulse.

The energy starts to build from Monday afternoon, jumping into the low 100s, and that trend continues into Tuesday, August 18th. The afternoon looks the better bet with a bit more size, but it’s still pretty ordinary. The swell is picking up a touch, but the winds are getting a bit messy again cross-shore. We see that energy jump up to 153 in the afternoon, which is a sign there's some more push in the water.

One thing to keep in mind with this whole spell: the swell periods are short, in the 7-8 second range, so the waves will be a bit crumbly and lack real punch. It’s not going to be a classic, but it will be something to ride. For a beginner, this might be okay, but there won't be much power behind it. I'd say the takeaway is to keep your expectations low and your wax fresh.

Daytona Beach is a fairly consistent sandbar set-up, so things can change quickly. The long-range models are hinting at a bit more size for the back end of the period, but that's promising at best. Let's just see if we can get a clean day or two before that.

This is Rusty, signing off. Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and I'll see you out there when it decides to show up.

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