Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 4s period, SSE swell with 37 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period with SE 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s is also forecast. 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 1.0m 4s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 4s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's take a long, hard look at what's on the table for 81st Street. I gotta be straight with you: this stretch of the next 16 days is looking like a write-off for any proper surf. The models are just not giving us anything to work with.
Starting right now, and running all the way through to the end of August, the story is the same: tiny, weak swell. We're talking knee-high dribble at best, with most of the time seeing waves barely pushing 1.3 ft. The combined swell energy is in the doldrums, mostly under 100 (e.g., 22, 13, 26), meaning there's just no power in the water. The swell direction is a mess of SE and ESE, and the periods are short, often under 8 seconds, so there's no push or shape to anything. The wind is all over the place, from light cross-offshores to moderate cross-onshores, but it doesn't matter because there's nothing to surf.
We do see a slight uptick around the 29th and 30th of August. The swell energy climbs into the low hundreds (e.g., 67, 95, 143), and we get some waves pushing 3.3 ft to 3.6 ft. The swell direction shifts to NE and ENE, with periods still short, around 6 seconds. The wind is mostly light and cross-off, so the conditions are clean, but the waves are just "surfable but very ordinary." That's the best we've got – a small, messy, short-period windswell that's barely worth a paddle.
Then, as we roll into September, the energy jumps again. On the 1st of September, we see combined energy readings of 238 and 278, but the swell is still only 2.0 ft to 3.0 ft. The problem is the wind turns onshore, strong from the NE, and the conditions become poor. The 2nd and 3rd of September offer a little more energy but the wind remains onshore, making it choppy and unappealing. The water temperature is sitting at a warm 79.3°, which is about 1.6° above normal for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
For the whole 16-day outlook, there is no standout. There is no "best on offer." This is a flat, dreary, wind-affected stretch where the only thing consistent is the lack of quality. It's a tough pill to swallow, but sometimes the ocean just closes the shop. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because a blank run like this is bound to break eventually.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Sat morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | E 13 | SSE 7 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 19 | 13 | 37 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 11 | 26 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 22 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:26AM0.73m | 3:06PM0.89m | 3:23AM0.70m | 4:05PM0.87m | 4:24AM0.70m | 5:04PM0.88m | 5:25AM0.73m | 5:58PM0.91m | 6:20AM0.77m | 6:46PM0.94m | 7:08AM0.82m | 7:28PM0.98m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:23PM0.24m | 8:05AM0.20m | 9:22PM0.28m | 9:00AM0.23m | 10:23PM0.29m | 10:00AM0.25m | 11:20PM0.28m | 10:59AM0.24m | 00:10AM0.25m | 11:55AM0.22m | 00:54AM0.21m | 12:44PM0.20m | 1:33AM0.17m | ||||||
 |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | 7:50 | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | 8 | 2 | — | 5 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 29 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | NE 4 | NE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 7 | E 8 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 11 |
| kJ | 19 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 18 | 5 | 17 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 22 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | — | E 6 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | NE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 12 | ESE 12 | SE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SSE 5 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | 1 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 26 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 16 | E 15 | E 15 | ESE 4 | SSE 4 | E 13 | E 13 | ESE 13 | — | SE 8 | E 12 | E 7 | N 3 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 16 | — | 2 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 3 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | N 2 | NE 4 | SSE 2 | — | SSE 4 | — | — | SE 4 | — | N 4 | N 4 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | 37 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 10 | — | — | 13 | — | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 393 | 458 | 793 | 175 | 1224 | 191 | 384 | 91 | 14 | 470 | 4 | 365 | 91 | 190 | 164 | 255 | 164 | 793 | 345 |
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.
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