Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 12s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with 57 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 12s period with ESE 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. 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 0.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1ft (0.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1ft (0.3m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’m looking at the whole 16-day window here, and honestly, it’s a tough stretch. The only spot with any recommendations is 81st Street, but it’s a real mixed bag—nothing that’ll get your heart racing. There’s a stretch of days with little to no surfable energy, and the conditions are up and down. Let’s get into it.
The water temp at 81st Street is sitting at 79°, which is about average for this time of year—nothing to complain about there.
The first couple of days, from Friday the 28th through to the end of August, are pretty poor. We’ve got some tiny 1ft swell from the ESE, with periods around 8 seconds, but the wind is all over the place—cross-off, onshore, cross-on—and combined energy is weak, only in the 20–30 range. Not worth paddling out for.
September starts off similarly quiet. Monday the 1st and Tuesday the 2nd see that same 1ft, 7-second swell, but the wind finally turns offshore on the mornings. On Wednesday morning the 2nd, we get a bit of a bump—1ft at 11 seconds from the ESE, energy jumps to 52, and it’s clean with a light cross-off breeze. The comment says “surfable but very ordinary,” which is about right. It’s the best we’ve seen so far, but still tiny.
The rest of the first week stays small, with a couple of mornings showing offshore or clean conditions, but the swell never gets above 2ft. The energy is mostly in the teens to low 30s. On Saturday the 5th, the swell goes to 2ft but from the south with a 4-second period—that’s super short period, more like wind chop than real swell. Sunday the 6th has a 2ft swell from the NNE, but again only a 4-second period, so it’s not going to form up. The morning is glassy, though.
The second week sees a slight improvement. On Monday the 7th, there’s a 1ft, 12-second swell from the SE—that’s a long period groundswell, which is normally great, but it’s so small it’s barely surfable. The energy is 48, and the wind is offshore in the morning. It’s still just “surfable but very ordinary.” The rest of the week is back to poor conditions, with onshore winds and tiny swell.
The very last day, Saturday the 12th, is just plain ugly—25 mph cross-onshore wind, messy conditions, and tiny 1.0ft swell. That’s a write-off.
So, if you’re desperate, Wednesday morning the 2nd of September is your best bet for a clean, tiny wave, and Monday the 7th has a bit more period but still small. Nothing here is a standout. The energy is weak across the board—never breaking into the moderate range. For a beginner, the tiny size is fine, but the inconsistency and lack of quality make it a tough call. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing when the wind picks up.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 29 | 47 | 57 | 36 | 32 | 31 | 14 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | off | off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:10AM0.98m | 9:23PM1.02m | 9:47AM1.02m | 10:01PM1.01m | 10:26AM1.05m | 10:40PM0.98m | 11:06AM1.07m | 11:22PM0.94m | 11:50AM1.08m | 00:08AM0.89m | 12:39PM1.06m | 1:00AM0.84m | 1:36PM1.04m | 2:01AM0.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:56PM0.12m | 3:17AM0.08m | 3:38PM0.11m | 3:51AM0.06m | 4:21PM0.11m | 4:27AM0.06m | 5:06PM0.12m | 5:06AM0.07m | 5:55PM0.15m | 5:50AM0.09m | 6:51PM0.18m | 6:41AM0.12m | 7:54PM0.21m | ||||||||
6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | |
mm | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 34 | 34 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 37 | 36 |
Feels °C | 28 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 35 | 35 | 31 | 36 | 35 | 32 | 37 | 36 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 4 |
24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 47 | 57 | 36 | 32 | 31 | 5 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | E 10 | E 9 | NE 5 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | — | S 4 | — | ESE 12 | ESE 7 | NE 4 | NE 5 | S 4 | NE 5 | ESE 8 |
6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | 29 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | — | SSE 5 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 4 | E 8 | E 15 | E 14 | E 9 | S 3 | — | — | NE 5 | — | — |
2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | — | — | S 4 | SW 3 | SW 3 | S 4 | — | — | S 2 | — | — | S 3 | WNW 2 | — | WSW 2 |
— | — | — | 3 | 2 | 9 | — | — | 9 | 4 | 1 | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 198 | 164 | 91 | 91 | 152 | 152 | 2021 | 1965 | 152 | 1144 | 1152 | 1148 | 1144 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 4 | 306 | 164 |
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.











