81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gutted, folks. I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a pretty bleak stretch for 81st Street. It’s one of those times where you might be better off dusting off the longboard or doing some maintenance on the quiver, because the surf is going to be tiny and the wind ain’t doing us any favors for a while.

The first week and a half is a total write-off. From Saturday the 8th right through to the 18th, we’re looking at nothing but knee-to-waist high dribble, with heights mostly stuck between 0.7ft and 2ft. The energy is weak, with combined swell energy readings in the single digits and teens for most of that time, barely cracking 30-40 on the odd afternoon. The swell direction is all over the place, mostly from the SE to SSE with periods anywhere from 5 to 8 seconds, which is just short-period wind chop, not real surf. A couple of mornings, like the 11th and 12th, will be glassy with light winds, but there’s just nothing to push in. You’d be paddling for foam.

We do start to see a bit more energy in the water around the middle of the second week, but the quality is still poor. The 19th and 20th see a bump in size, with the swell building to 3ft and then 5ft-6ft by Thursday afternoon. The energy jumps up to 153 and then 407, which is a sign of more push, but the period drops right off to 5-7 seconds. That’s just stormy, crumbly junk. With cross-shore winds in the moderate range, it’s going to be a mess. At 6ft, it’s also starting to get a bit much for the beginners, and with that short period, it’ll be a walled-up closeout for everyone else. Honestly, with that onshore energy, it might be a better week for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

There’s one little window that teases us, and it’s the only thing keeping this from being a total blank. On Friday the 21st, the swell drops back to a more manageable 4ft-5ft, and the period stretches out to 9 seconds. The energy is still moderate at 276-327, and while the winds are light, they’re cross and cross-on, which will put a bit of texture on the face. It’s still not what I’d call a standout, but it’s the best of a bad bunch. The wave comment says it’s “marginal,” and I’d agree. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.

After that, it fades back to nothing. The 22nd and 23rd drop back down to 2ft-2ft with weak energy and the wind swings around onshore, which kills it completely.

So, here’s the deal. The water temp is 80° which is about normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a hood. But the surf… it’s just not there. The entire 16-day window is a poor outlook, with only that Friday the 21st offering anything remotely rideable, and even that is marginal. It’s a dry spell, and with a spot that’s as inconsistent as this one, it’s not unusual. Forecasts can change, and we’re not that far out from that Friday bump, so I’d keep an eye on it, but don’t book your day off work just yet.

Rusty.

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