81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell ya, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast. Gotta be straight with you – this is one of those outlooks where you might wanna take up a new hobby for a couple of weeks. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for anything worth paddling out for.

Right now, and for the foreseeable future, it’s a wasteland. There’s a long stretch from now until almost the end of the third week of August where the surf is just not cooperating. We’re looking at a solid week and a half of tiny, weak waves with poor energy levels. The only spot on the cards is 81st Street, but it’s a real struggle. It’s an inconsistent beginner break, and it won’t be breaking with any real form for a long time.

The water is sitting at a warm 80°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold while you’re floating around doing nothing.

From Friday, August 7th, all the way through to Wednesday, August 19th, it’s just a parade of tiny, weak junk. We’re talking knee-high slop, with swell heights barely scraping 2 ft, and period under 8 seconds. The combined energy is pathetic, mostly in the single or low double digits (like 11 to 28). The wind is often offshore or clean, but with waves that small, it’s just a groomed lake. There’s one little moment on Monday, August 10th, in the afternoon where it goes glassy, but the swell is still only 1 ft. Not worth the wetsuit rinse.

Finally, on Thursday, August 20th, there’s a bit of a pulse. We see a moderate swell kick in, with the ESE swell showing 3 ft and a longer period of 11 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 164 (moderate wave energy). The morning has light offshore wind from the SW, which will keep it clean. It’s still not big, but it’s the best we’ve got. The direction is from the ESE, which is the optimum direction for this spot. Don’t get too excited though – it’s still a small wave, and the break is inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for sets. This is a beginner-friendly wave at this size (under 5 ft). Friday, August 21st, has a similar morning session with 3 ft and clean offshore wind, but the energy drops right back down to 74 (weak). After that, it’s back to the flat spell.

So, to keep it real: if you’re desperate, the Thursday the 20th or Friday the 21st morning sessions are your only real shot for a paddle. It’s the standout, but that’s a low bar. For the rest of the time, the surf is basically non-existent.

-Rusty

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