81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for 81st Street.

Look, I gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days are a real mixed bag, and honestly, for the most part, it’s pretty flat and grim. There’s a long stretch of nothing worth paddling out for. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t roll in until late in the second week. We’ve got a big gap of poor conditions before that.

The water temp is sitting at a balmy 80°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s over 5° warmer than average, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit, that’s for sure.

From Sunday the 13th all the way through to Wednesday the 23rd of September, it’s a write-off. We’re looking at tiny waves, mostly under 3 ft, with poor surf conditions and scores that don’t even register. The energy is weak, barely getting into double digits (combined swell energy values like 25, 50, 63 – you get the picture). On Monday the 21st, there’s a pulse of bigger swell hitting 6 ft with energy climbing to 355, but the wind is onshore and messy, so it’s not gonna be any good for a paddle. That kind of setup, with a strong onshore wind and a beach break, might get the kite crew excited, but not us.

Now, there’s a glimmer of hope late in the run. The standout is Thursday afternoon, September 24th. The conditions finally line up. We’ve got a 4 ft swell coming from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. That’s a major positive – clean, smooth water. The combined swell energy hits 222, so there’s some proper push there. The break is exposed to the ESE, and this ENE swell is close to that optimum, so it should wrap in decently. This is your best bet. Keep in mind, 81st Street can be inconsistent and crowds are possible here, so get down early. For beginners, 4 ft is doable but on the upper edge of comfy.

The day after, Friday the 25th morning, still has some clean-ish conditions with a 4 ft swell from the ENE, period of 9 seconds, and a cross-off breeze. It’s a backup option, but not as clean as that Thursday glass-off.

After that, it fades back into small, weak, and choppy conditions through the end of the month. Nothing else to write home about.

So, to sum it up: wait for Thursday the 24th afternoon. That’s the one. Everything else is a pass.

Rusty.

Read more