8th Street Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for 8th Street Jetty.

To be straight with you, the next two weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and messy conditions. The water is sitting at 75°F with an anomaly of 4°F, so it’s much warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a nice bonus if you’re just floating around, but not enough to save the surf.

The outlook starts with a few days of almost nothing. Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th have swell around 1.0 ft to 1 ft, all from the east, with a short period of 7-8 seconds. The combined energy is weak, between 21 and 36 (low two-digit numbers). Winds are cross-onshore or cross-off, so it’s choppy or clean but still just too small to bother. Saturday the 11th morning is glassy, but the swell is only 0.7 ft – that’s flat, plain and simple.

Things stay small and inconsistent through the whole first week. The swell height barely cracks 2 ft, and the period is often short, around 5-7 seconds. The combined energy never gets into three digits until much later. By Sunday the 12th, we get a bit of east swell at 2 ft, but the period drops to 5 seconds and winds are cross-shore and lumpy. Not one for the quiver.

From Monday the 13th through to the 19th, it’s the same story: knee-high waves, mostly east to southeast, with periods under 8 seconds. The combined energy stays well under 100 (between 6 and 45). Winds are a mix of onshore and cross-off, but it’s just not enough push to make anything worthwhile. The 16th and 17th have some glassy or offshore windows, but the swell is only 0.7 ft – you’d be bobbing around with no ride.

Now, late in the period, we finally see a little pulse. On Wednesday the 22nd of July, the swell picks up to 4 ft from the southeast, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 165 in the morning and 260 in the afternoon – that’s moderate wave energy (260). But here’s the catch: the wind is cross-shore and cross-onshore, so it’s going to be lumpy and choppy. The break is a beach/jetty setup, so with that short period and messy wind, it’ll be a bit of a washing machine. This is really the only window where the swell gets big enough to ride, but the quality is poor. It’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.

The Thursday the 23rd morning has a tiny glimmer – 2 ft from the ESE, with a clean cross-off wind, and the energy is 73. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is about as positive as it gets. Still, it’s not a standout.

So, if you’re looking for the best on offer, it’s a sad call. The only real standout is the 22nd of July, purely for the bigger swell size (4 ft), but the wind and chop ruin it. For a surf, you’re better off waiting for a better forecast. The good news is that breaks here can turn around, but this 16-day window is a blank run.

Rusty.

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