Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, SSE swell with 161 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s is also forecast. 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 1.1m 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 1.5m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the 81st Street stretch over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough run. The guiding data flags this spot as "inconsistent", and looking at the numbers, that's an understatement. We're in for a long, quiet stretch before anything even barely worth a look shows up.
The whole first ten days, from Friday the 17th right through to the end of the month, are a write-off. There's just nothing doing. The swell is tiny, barely a ripple, and when there is a little bump of energy, the wind is usually messing it up. The combined wave energy barely cracks triple digits, often sitting in the weak range (12-91). You'll be staring at a lake, not a surf break. It's a long gap with no real chance of a paddle.
Now, finally, on the morning of Thursday the 31st of July, we get a flicker of hope. The conditions are described as "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions". The swell is a tiny 2 ft from the East, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the SSW at 6 mph, which is clean. The combined energy is a modest 61. It's not going to be pretty, but it's the only window where you won't be completely wasting your time. The water temp is about 78°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.
Then there's one more faint possibility on the morning of Saturday the 1st of August. Again, we're looking at "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions". The swell is a touch bigger at 2 ft from the SE, but the period drops to a weak 7 seconds. The wind is light and cross-off from the WNW at 6 mph, so it'll be clean. The combined energy is 49. The crowds at 81st Street are "sometimes" a problem, but honestly, I can't imagine anyone being out there for this.
Look, I'm optimistic by nature, but this is a grim outlook. The best of a bad bunch is that Thursday the 31st of July morning. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the energy is weak. Don't get your hopes up. If you're desperate, you might get a few knee-high sliders on the clean, soft morning conditions. Otherwise, save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 34°C on Sat afternoon, min 23°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Tue afternoon, min 23°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Tue night, light winds from the W by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | ESE 4 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 43 | 23 | 37 | 23 | 23 | 30 | 16 | 48 | 16 | 80 | 48 | 49 | 34 | 44 | 44 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | on | glassy | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:32AM0.94m | 11:51PM0.96m | 12:23PM0.94m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:19PM-0.05m | 5:47AM-0.07m | 6:14PM0.00m | 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 | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 33 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
Feels °C | 31 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 31 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | ENE 3 | ESE 8 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | ESE 8 | — | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 2 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 43 | 23 | 37 | 23 | 23 | 30 | 6 | — | 16 | 80 | 48 | 49 | 34 | 44 | 44 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | S 4 | ESE 8 | — | E 9 | — | E 13 | S 4 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | — | E 9 | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | — |
| kJ | 6 | 1 | 6 | — | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 17 | 18 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | E 14 | E 10 | E 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 13 | — | E 10 | E 11 | E 9 | — | E 12 | E 6 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 3 | SE 3 | S 3 | SSE 5 | S 6 | WSW 4 | — | E 3 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 7 | S 5 | NNW 2 | NNE 3 | NE 4 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | NE 3 |
| kJ | — | 3 | 2 | 5 | 91 | 103 | 5 | — | 2 | 11 | 18 | 27 | 16 | 48 | 42 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 10 | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1656 | 1224 | 1232 | 1232 | 333 | 126 | 126 | 91 | 0 | 190 | 612 | 2 | 2000 | 1140 | 375 | 205 | 126 | 0 | 126 | 126 | 14 |
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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