Daytona Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s brewing for Daytona Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking pretty flat and sad. We’re staring down a long stretch of tiny, weak waves that just aren’t worth the paddle out. From Thursday the 10th all the way through to Sunday the 20th, the swell is barely a whisper, hanging around 0.7ft to 3ft. The energy is basically non-existent, with readings between 11 and 71 (weak energy). Periods are short, mostly 5 to 9 seconds, so there’s no push. Winds are all over the place – cross, cross-off, and even some glassy spells on Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th – but with no swell to work with, it’s a classic case of "clean but flat." The water is a warm 82°F, which is about average for this time of year, so you’ll be comfortable floating around, but you won’t be surfing.

The one and only glimmer of hope, and it’s a long way off, is around Monday the 21st. A storm system starts to crank up the wind, and by Tuesday the 22nd, the energy jumps to 378 (moderate wave energy) with a 6ft swell from the NE at 8 seconds. By Wednesday the 23rd, it’s pumping with 8ft swell from the ENE and energy readings hitting 969 (strong wave energy). That’s some serious power. But here’s the rub – the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, swinging from NE to NNE, so it’s going to be a choppy, lumpy mess. The surf quality is rated as poor, and these are beach breaks, so all that raw energy with cross-onshore wind is going to be more of a battle than a joy. Honestly, for a beach break setup like this, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle surfers.

Then on Thursday the 24th, the swell peaks with a 10ft monster from the NE at 11 seconds, energy reading a massive 3116 (very strong wave energy). That’s expert-only territory, and with onshore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. The wave comment calls it "marginal," and I’d say that’s generous. It’s a raw, powerful, and ugly swell. By Friday the 25th, it drops back down to 4ft, still messy.

So, the honest truth is, there are no standout, clean surf days in this 16-day window. The entire first week and a half is a total write-off. The only real swell event, from the 21st to the 24th, is ruined by bad wind. If you’re desperate for a paddle, you might get a few clean but tiny waves on the glassy mornings of the 13th, 14th, 18th, or 19th, but it’s barely surfable. Keep an eye on the charts, though – it tends not to stay this poor for long, and the forecast can change.

Stay tuned, and maybe get the wax on the kiteboard instead.

Rusty.

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