
Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, SSE swell with 251 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at 81st Street in the next 16 days are 1.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.
It's a slow stretch ahead, I gotta be honest. We're looking at a pretty lean run with very little to get excited about. The small stuff that does show up is mostly weak and short-period, and the wind is going to be a constant battle. There's a little window of something a bit bigger, but it comes with its own issues.
Sunday the 19th morning, 81st Street sees a tiny 2 ft swell from the SE, with a short 8-second period and weak energy (40). The wind is a cross-offshore, so it'll be clean, but it's a real dribbler. Not one for the quiver.
From Sunday afternoon all the way through the rest of the week, the story is the same. Tiny, weak swell, most of it under 2 ft, and the wind is either onshore, cross-on, or just messy. There's a bit of a bump on Wednesday the 22nd morning, with a 3 ft SSE swell that has a bit more energy (125), but it's blowing a fresh 19 mph offshore from the WSW. That's a lot of wind for a small wave, and it'll be blown out and hard to manage. The afternoon is a little better with 3 ft and lighter offshore wind, but it's still not great.
The week of the 23rd through the 2nd of August is a real desert. The swell drops back to knee-high or below, with energy readings in the teens and twenties. Most days have poor conditions. The only real glimmer is early on Monday the 27th, when the wind goes light and variable from the SSW, making it glassy clean for a 2 ft E swell. But the period is only 8 seconds, so it's weak and lumpy. The rest of that week is more of the same – small, weak, and mostly clean but with no punch.
The best of a bad bunch? That would be the early morning of Monday the 27th. It's clean, glassy, and you'll have it to yourself. But it's a long way off and the size is tiny. For a proper wave, you'd have to be dreaming. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no need to worry about a winter wetsuit just yet.
This is a classic case of "better luck next week." The forecasts can change, but for now, it's a good time to rest the arms and do some waxing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue night, min 23°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Tue night, light winds from the W by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 4 | E 4 | E 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 5 | SE 8 | NE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
69 | 28 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 15 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 178 | 125 | 78 | 62 | 48 | 30 | 35 | 66 | 38 | 46 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | on | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 00:39AM0.88m | 1:13PM0.93m | 1:28AM0.81m | 2:04PM0.91m | 2:19AM0.75m | 2:57PM0.89m | 3:12AM0.70m | 3:52PM0.87m | 4:08AM0.67m | 4:48PM0.87m | 5:05AM0.67m | 5:42PM0.87m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:32AM-0.02m | 7:09PM0.06m | 7:17AM0.02m | 8:06PM0.12m | 8:03AM0.08m | 9:05PM0.16m | 8:52AM0.12m | 10:04PM0.19m | 9:44AM0.15m | 11:02PM0.20m | 10:38AM0.16m | 11:55PM0.19m | |||||||
— | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
8:21 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | |
mm | 7 | — | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 7 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 27 | 30 | 32 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | — | E 4 | E 4 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
69 | 28 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 15 | — | 6 | 1 | 178 | 125 | 78 | 62 | 48 | 26 | 35 | 28 | 38 | 46 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | S 4 | S 4 | SE 4 | E 12 | E 12 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 9 | — | — | S 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | NE 5 |
3 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 26 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 18 | 19 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | — | E 11 | E 12 | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 |
— | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | W 4 | N 3 | ENE 3 | ENE 3 | E 3 | ESE 4 | S 4 | S 4 | — | WSW 4 | SSW 4 | WSW 4 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 |
7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 17 | 27 | — | 11 | 24 | 7 | 37 | 30 | 21 | 66 | 36 | 14 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 280 | 178 | 152 | 152 | 806 | 432 | 1140 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 244 | 255 | 244 | 246 | 304 | 190 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










