Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 61 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for 81st Street this week:
The surf forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at 81st Street in the next 16 days are 0.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the 81st Street stretch over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, mate, it’s a tough outlook. We’re looking at a really long stretch of flat, weak, and messy conditions. The surf here is inconsistent at the best of times, and for the first week, it’s almost non-existent. From Saturday the 15th right through to Friday the 21st, the wave energy is barely a whisper (energy values sitting between 15 and 48), with tiny swell heights of 1.0ft to 3ft and short, choppy periods. The wind is mostly on it or cross-shore, making it a bit of a skunk. The one small highlight in that first week is Monday morning the 17th – we get a gentle offshore breeze from the WSW, which will clean up the 2ft bump from the SSE, but it’s still really small.
The first real glimmer of hope doesn't come until Saturday the 22nd of August. It’s still not pumping, but it’s the first time we see a "surfable" tag. Saturday morning there’s a glassy 3ft from the ENE with a period of 6 seconds. The energy is still low (45), but if you’re on a longboard and want a quiet, clean paddle, that’s your window. The water is a warm 80°, which is about average for the time of year.
We hit another dead patch for a few days after that, with the wind turning onshore again. The best of the entire forecast, far and away, is the morning of Sunday the 30th of August. We get a glassy lineup with a 4ft swell from the NE. The energy is still moderate (60), but with no wind, that’s the cleanest it’s going to get. The swell is a bit short period at 5 seconds, so it’ll be a little crumbly, but for a beach break like this, that’s actually better than a long-period groundswell that would just roll straight through.
Given the tiny size and the fact that the better waves (4ft on the 30th) get chopped up by a moderate onshore breeze, this setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those afternoons. For the paddle crew, set your clocks for the glassy mornings of the 22nd and the 30th. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the best we’ve got.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the W by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | ENE 4 | E 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 26 | 31 | 14 | 61 | 41 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 33 | 44 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 11:05AM1.03m | 11:22PM0.96m | 11:50AM1.02m | 00:06AM0.89m | 12:35PM0.99m | 00:49AM0.82m | 1:22PM0.95m | 1:36AM0.77m | 2:11PM0.92m | 2:26AM0.73m | 3:06PM0.89m | 3:23AM0.70m | 4:05PM0.87m | 4:24AM0.70m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:58PM0.00m | 5:11AM-0.01m | 5:47PM0.06m | 5:51AM0.04m | 6:36PM0.12m | 6:32AM0.09m | 7:28PM0.19m | 7:16AM0.15m | 8:23PM0.24m | 8:05AM0.20m | 9:22PM0.28m | 9:00AM0.23m | 10:23PM0.29m | ||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 35 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 30 | 33 | 35 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | E 5 | E 5 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 |
3 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 26 | 31 | 14 | 61 | 41 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 6 | — | E 14 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | — | ESE 8 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 |
3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 7 | — | 4 | 8 | 24 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 13 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | — | — | SE 12 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | E 16 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 |
3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | ENE 4 | E 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | WSW 3 | — | — | N 3 | — | — | — | SE 2 | SE 4 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 |
6 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 7 | 33 | 44 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1142 | 2929 | 984 | 937 | 1159 | 891 | 198 | 91 | 164 | 96 | 279 | 0 | 164 | 1155 | 216 | 152 | 1681 | 562 | 458 | 126 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the 81st Street Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for 81st Street provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at 81st Street can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our 81st Street surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (81st Street) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for 81st Street may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
81st Street is 4 km (2 miles) from the city of Pylos. If you plan a vacation in Virginia, look for hotels and other accommodation in Pylos. Pylos has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











