Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, ESE swell with 51 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for 81st Street this week:
The most powerful waves expected at 81st Street in the next 16 days are 0.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM. 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what we've got coming up at 81st Street. It's a bit of a mixed bag, so let's get into it.
Right off the bat, the next week and a half or so is looking pretty slim. From Sunday the 23rd right through to Monday the 31st of August, it's mostly tiny, weak, and messy. The swell is small, usually around 0.7ft to 2ft, and the periods are short, meaning the waves will be weak and crumbly. The combined energy is low, mostly under 50 (13 to 50 range), which tells you there's just not much power in the water. Wind is often cross-onshore, which chops things up further. There are a few pockets of clean conditions—like Sunday the 30th morning with a light offshore and Tuesday the 25th morning with a light cross-off—but the swell is just too small to get excited about. It's a real patience test.
Now, things start to look a little more interesting towards the start of September. On the morning of Monday the 31st, we see a spike in period to 18 seconds with a combined energy of 92. That's a long-period groundswell, but it's still only 1.0ft, so the energy is there but the height is lacking. The conditions are clean with a light offshore, so it's surfable, but very ordinary.
The real standout in this whole 16-day window is shaping up for Wednesday the 2nd of September. The afternoon brings a beautiful combination: a 3ft swell from the east with an 11-second period, and the wind goes glassy. The combined energy jumps to 449, which is a solid, moderate wave energy. This is the best on offer. Expect clean, fun waves. It's not huge, but for 81st Street, this is the day to be out. Just be aware that crowds are possible here, so get there early.
Thursday the 3rd of September sees the swell push up to 4ft, but the wind turns onshore from the north, making it choppy and poor. The period drops to 10 seconds, so it loses that quality. The rest of the first week of September is a write-off with cross-onshore winds and dropping swell.
To sum it up: if you can wait, the afternoon of Wednesday the 2nd of September is your best bet for a fun, glassy session. Everything else is small, weak, or windy. It's a typical late-summer pattern for this break, but that one afternoon looks like a little gem.
Stay patient, and I'll see you in the water.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 21°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Thu night, calm by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 13 | SSE 4 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 13 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 26 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 16 | 51 | 10 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 24 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:25AM0.73m | 5:58PM0.91m | 6:20AM0.77m | 6:46PM0.94m | 7:08AM0.82m | 7:28PM0.98m | 7:52AM0.87m | 8:08PM1.00m | 8:32AM0.93m | 8:46PM1.02m | 9:10AM0.98m | 9:23PM1.02m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:20PM0.28m | 10:59AM0.24m | 00:10AM0.25m | 11:55AM0.22m | 00:54AM0.21m | 12:44PM0.20m | 1:33AM0.17m | 1:30PM0.16m | 2:09AM0.13m | 2:14PM0.14m | 2:43AM0.10m | 2:56PM0.12m | 3:17AM0.08m | ||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | 7:45 | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — |
mm | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | — | 2 | 1 |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 26 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | ESE 12 | SE 4 | SSE 6 | NE 4 | ESE 11 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 |
| kJ | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 22 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 24 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SSE 5 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ENE 4 | E 6 | E 15 | E 6 | SE 4 | E 12 | ENE 5 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 13 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 2 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | ENE 6 | E 8 | E 7 | NNE 3 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SSE 5 | SE 4 | E 15 | E 6 | — | E 4 | E 12 | E 12 | NE 5 | E 8 | E 10 |
| kJ | 13 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | WSW 3 | ENE 5 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | — | — | SSE 5 | SE 3 | ESE 8 | — | SE 4 | S 5 | S 4 | SSE 5 | WSW 3 |
| kJ | 6 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 51 | — | 8 | 34 | 20 | 35 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 91 | 152 | 393 | 280 | 164 | 152 | 152 | 254 | 418 | 345 | 530 | 790 | 191 | 152 | 1140 | 216 | 14 | 279 | 4 |
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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