81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the local stretch.

Right off the bat, I’ve gotta be straight with you – it’s a quiet spell. The first decent chance to even get wet doesn’t really show until Tuesday afternoon, August 4th. Even then, it’s nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a small, short-period south-easterly swell pushing in at 3 ft, with a period of just 7 seconds. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW, but the wave energy is only moderate (108). Expect ordinary, lumpy conditions – more of a grovel session than a day to remember.

Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are even more of a struggle. Swell drops right back, wind shifts around, and the combined energy falls into the weak range (60 or less). We’re talking about poor surf conditions with messy, weak waves.

Friday the 7th offers a bit of a tease. Early morning, we get a clean, offshore breeze from the WSW, but the swell is tiny – just 1 ft. The energy is very weak (14), so you’ll be waiting for the occasional knee-high ripple. It’s clean, but there’s just no push.

The real standout, and the only one I’d really point you toward, is the morning of Saturday, August 9th. Wait, let me check the dates… Actually, the best window is the Saturday morning of the 8th of August. We get a 2 ft south-easterly swell with a slightly better period of 8 seconds. The energy picks up to a moderate 59, and the wind is a moderate offshore from the WSW. The sea will be clean, with some lines that might actually hold up for a small-wave board. It’s not epic, but it’s the best on offer in this whole 16-day window. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

After that, the forecast drops off a cliff. From Sunday the 9th all the way through to Monday the 17th of August, there’s a real gap. We’re talking about wave heights barely breaking 2 ft, energy in the single digits to low-twenties, and a mix of onshore and cross-shore winds. There are a few brief moments of clean, offshore wind (like the 11th of August morning), but the swell is simply too small to surf.

The very end of the period, on Monday the 17th of August, shows a little flicker of life. The morning has a 2 ft south-easterly swell with a period of 8 seconds and a moderate 43 energy reading. The wind is light and cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean. But again, it’s a marginal day.

Honestly, for most of this run, the forecasts are poor. 81st Street is an inconsistent spot, and this blank run is a bit more normal for the area. We just have to wait for the next system to line up. Keep your eyes on the horizon, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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