Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s period, E swell with 117 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with ENE 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. 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 0.8m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at 81st Street. Let's be straight with you: for the next two weeks plus, this stretch of sand is going to keep you humble. There’s a long, flat spell ahead with only a few glimpses of anything worth paddling for.
Right now, we're looking at a real lull. For the first three days, through the 4th, 5th, and 6th, the surf is tiny – ankle to knee high at best with onshore muck. It's going to be a frustrating start. This dry spell stretches out for a good week, with nothing but whitecaps and bump.
The water's already very warm, running about 5° above the norm. It feels like bathwater out there.
The first tiny window of hope shows up on the morning of the 8th. Early Tuesday, the wind drops to glassy. There might be a knee-high wave, but it’s weak and the swell is ordinary. It’s not really surf, more like a flat spell with a light ripple. You'd be better off enjoying the calm.
Then we go flat again. The building swell around the 11th and 12th brings some lumpy, short-period junk – up to 4 ft on the morning of the 11th – but it's coming in with messy cross-shore winds. The period is weak too, around 5 seconds, so it’ll be a jumbled, gutless mess. Not worth the paddle.
The next real possibility isn't until the 18th. On Friday morning, we might finally see a cleaner pulse: about 3 ft of swell from the ENE, with a period of 6 seconds and moderate offshore winds. It's the first time things look half-decent. The swell energy is still moderate (100), but the clean conditions are a plus. The afternoon bumps up a little to 4 ft, but the wind swings cross-off.
That’s your pick of the two weeks, and it’s a poor deal overall. This is surf for the dedicated, a time for a longboard and low expectations. The swell direction is ESE, which works for this spot, but the quality just isn't there. It looks like it might be more interesting for the kite crew than us paddle surfers.
So, there you have it. A long, dry spell with a brief moment of hope on the 18th. If you're not desperate, maybe wait it out. Forecasts can change, but this one is looking grim.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | ESE 8 | E 3 | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | E 4 | E 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SSE 4 | SE 6 | S 5 | ESE 9 | NNW 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 13 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 59 | 83 | 49 | 38 | 37 | 21 | 19 | 37 | 24 | 11 | 8 | 100 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:42PM1.02m | 3:11AM0.77m | 3:54PM1.01m | 4:26AM0.79m | 5:06PM1.02m | 5:37AM0.84m | 6:11PM1.04m | 6:40AM0.91m | 7:09PM1.06m | 7:35AM0.98m | 8:00PM1.07m | 8:25AM1.04m | 8:46PM1.06m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:05PM0.23m | 8:51AM0.16m | 10:17PM0.21m | 10:05AM0.15m | 11:22PM0.16m | 11:18AM0.12m | 00:19AM0.11m | 12:23PM0.07m | 1:09AM0.05m | 1:21PM0.03m | 1:55AM0.01m | 2:13PM0.01m | 2:37AM-0.01m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | |  | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 34 | 30 |
Feels °C | 31 | 33 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 33 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ESE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | SE 5 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | ENE 9 | SE 6 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 83 | 49 | 13 | 28 | 21 | 19 | 8 | 24 | 11 | 4 | 7 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | S 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 8 | ESE 9 | E 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 38 | 37 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | E 5 | E 7 | ENE 6 | S 6 | E 9 | E 6 | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | ESE 8 | — | — | — | E 10 | — | ENE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 7 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 7 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | — | — | NNW 3 | N 3 | E 3 | E 4 | SE 4 | E 4 | E 7 | SE 4 | SE 5 | — | — | S 3 | SW 2 | SSE 4 | SSW 5 | W 4 | — | NNW 5 |
| kJ | 4 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 59 | 9 | 10 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 37 | 63 | 15 | — | 100 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 363 | 762 | 310 | 1224 | 1238 | 190 | 448 | 585 | 306 | 244 | 198 | 126 | 0 | 1148 | 14 | 4 | 1152 | 877 | 164 | 345 | 254 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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