Daytona Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at what's on the menu for Daytona Beach over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it's lean. Real lean. We've got a long stretch of small, weak waves and less-than-ideal winds to start, so don't go rushing to wet a line just yet. Let's break down the waiting game.

The pattern for the first week is a bummer. From Monday, August 31st, right through to what looks like Sunday, September 6th, we're seeing tiny surf – nothing over 3 ft – with a combined swell energy that barely cracks triple digits. Most of those readings are in the 14 to 82 range (weak to very weak energy). The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, making for choppy, bumpy conditions that aren't worth the paddle out. It's a real flat spell.

There is a tiny glimmer on the morning of Saturday, September 5th, with a glassy 1 ft easterly swell, but with energy at just 14 (very weak energy), it's barely a ripple. You'd need a longboard and a lot of patience for that one. This drought of any real surf lasts for about a week and a half.

The first real chance of anything remotely rideable doesn't show up until Wednesday afternoon, September 9th. We get a moderate offshore breeze from the WSW at 16 mph, which is good for cleaning things up, and the swell ticks up slightly. The morning of Thursday, September 10th, also has that same clean offshore wind, with a 1 ft swell from the ESE. Let's be real – the sizes are tiny, and swell energy is just 111 on Wednesday (moderate wave energy) and 53 on Thursday (weak energy). The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions”, and I'd agree. For a beginner, this is about all you're gonna get. The optimum swell for Daytona (a sandbar break) is from the E, so the ESE direction we get on the 10th is close enough not to matter.

But honestly, there's no standout session here. The water temp is about average for the time of year. The crowds at Daytona can be a thing “sometimes,” so even when it's this small, don't be surprised to see a few other hopefuls out. The best bet is to keep an eye on that Wednesday afternoon, September 9th, for the cleanest, most workable conditions, but keep your expectations on the floor.

The second week (from September 11th onward) offers nothing better. The winds go back to cross-off or cross-on, and the swell drops even further into the 1 ft range with energy in the 20s and 30s (weak energy). It's a full-on flat spell. With such small, weak surf and a beach break setup, this is looking more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle session.

It's a tough outlook, folks. When there are no real recommendations, that says it all. A blank run like this is fairly normal for this area in the summer doldrums, but it tends not to stay poor for long, and forecasts can change. For now, wait it out.

Rusty.

Read more