81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for our local 81st Street spot. The first week or so is pretty grim, with a lot of tiny, weak swell and messy wind. There’s a couple of windows that might be worth a look, but you’ll need to be patient.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a wait. For the first few days, from Wednesday the 22nd of July through to the end of the month, it’s a real struggle. The swell is small, mostly under 3 ft, and the period is short, meaning the waves are weak and lacking any punch. The combined wave energy is really low, mostly under 100, so don’t expect much grunt. The wind is a problem too, often onshore or cross-onshore, which is going to chop things up. You’ll be sitting there staring at a lot of bumpy, crumbly lines. There’s a few moments of clean offshore wind, like on the 22nd afternoon with a 3 ft SSE swell, but the energy is still pretty weak at 76 – it’s surfable, but it’s not going to set the world on fire.

Now, the good news is that things start to look a little more interesting as we move into the new month. The real standout, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Tuesday the 4th of August. We’ve got a solid 5 ft to 6 ft swell coming in from the SE, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a moderate groundswell, and the combined energy jumps up to 283 to 382, which is a proper kick in the pants. The best part? The wind is predicted to be moderate offshore from the SW, keeping it clean and lined up. That’s as good as it gets around here. The 6 ft is a bit punchy for the beginners, but for the rest of you, it’s going to be fun. The 5th of August morning is also a solid option with 4 ft from the SSE and a clean cross-offshore breeze, but the winds shift onshore later in the day.

There’s a few other days with a bit of size, like the 3rd of August, but the wind is all wrong – cross-onshore and fresh, making it a choppy mess. That’s more of a kite session than a paddle session. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no major surprises there.

So, to wrap it up: sit tight through the end of July. The surf is small and weak. Your best bet is Tuesday the 4th and the morning of the 5th of August. It’s not a perfect forecast, but that window of clean, chest-to-head-high swell is worth a paddle out.

Rusty.

Read more