81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin' for our stretch of beach. I gotta be straight with you – this sixteen-day window is a tough one. Most of it is a write-off, but if you’re patient, there is a little something that pokes its head up near the end.

We’re starting off with a whole heap of nothing. From the 12th through most of the 21st, it’s a classic case of “leave the boards in the shed.” The water is sitting at a very unusual 80° which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – feels more like a tropical bath than a surf zone. But there’s no swell to speak of that’s any good. The little 1ft to 2ft dribble we get is mostly hammered by onshore or cross-shore winds, making it choppy and ugly. There’s a brief moment on the morning of the 18th where it goes glassy with a light SW wind, but the swell is only 2ft with weak energy (38), so you could probably have a sit on a log and get the same feeling.

Now, we get a bit of a gap and then things change. Tuesday the 22nd of September is where your eyes should be. The morning kicks off with a clean 7ft swell from the ESE (456 energy), but it’s still a bit marginal. The real standout is the Tuesday afternoon session at 81st Street. Swell bumps up to 7ft from the ESE, and the wind swings to a clean offshore from the WSW. The energy jumps to a solid 531, and it’s described as “gentle offshore and clean.” This is a big wave for a beginner spot, so if you’re not experienced, this one is for strong intermediate to expert surfers only. That period is only around 8 seconds, so it’s not the biggest, grinding groundswell, but with that clean offshore wind, it’ll still offer some fun, lined-up walls.

The next day, Wednesday the 23rd, has a glassy morning with 4ft from the ESE (210 energy) – that’s a good mop-up session for anyone who misses Tuesday. But after that, it gets messy again with onshore winds through the rest of the week. Friday the 25th afternoon offers a bit of a glimmer – a glassy 5ft from the NE with 221 energy – but remember, NE is a direct onshore wind direction for this break, so that “glassy” label is a bit tricky. It’s likely more of a rolling bump than a clean face.

Honestly, the only true standout here is that Tuesday the 22nd afternoon window. Mark it on the calendar. The rest is mostly a waiting game with a few small, clean windows that are worth a paddle if you’re desperate, but don’t expect any magic.

Rusty.

Read more