81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s be straight with you—the next 16 days around here are looking pretty bleak. We’re talking about 81st Street, and honestly, there’s not a single session in the whole run that I’d call a standout. The window starts on Monday, August 3rd, but it’s a rough start.

The whole pattern is weak. We get a little bump of energy on Monday with a 5 ft SSE swell, but the wind is a messy cross-off from the SSW at 19 mph, and the period is a short 8 seconds. The combined energy is only 238, which is moderate, but the conditions are described as poor surf. Not what you want. Tuesday afternoon, August 4th, sees a drop to 3 ft from the SE, with a 7-second period, but the wind goes light offshore from the WSW at 3 mph. That’s the cleanest it gets, but the energy is weak at 75, and the waves are just "surfable but very ordinary." It’s a beginner wave, but it’s also inconsistent, so you might be waiting a while.

After that, it’s a long stretch of nothing. From Wednesday, August 5th, all the way through to Tuesday, August 18th, the swell barely kicks above 3 ft, and most days it’s under 2 ft. The wind is either cross-off or onshore, and the energy readings are mostly in the single or low double digits—weak. There’s a moment on Saturday, August 15th afternoon, with glassy conditions from the WNW at 3 mph, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7 ft from the E. You’d need a sea kayak to enjoy that.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there. If you’re a beginner, this is a tough stretch because the few small waves we get are inconsistent and rarely break. Honestly, for a spot like this, a blank run is more normal than not. The only bright spot might be for kite surfers if the wind picks up, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.

So, hold tight. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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