Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, ESE swell with 65 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 0.4m 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 0.6m 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 0.7m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.
To be straight with you, mate, the next couple of weeks are pretty flat and lifeless for our stretch. There’s not a single standout session in the whole 16-day window. If you’re desperate for a paddle, there are a few mornings where it’s not completely hopeless, but you’ll be working hard for next to nothing. The first real chance for anything even remotely surfable doesn’t show up until Wednesday the 2nd of September, and even then, it’s tiny.
Starting off, Saturday the 29th of August is a write-off. We’ve got 1 ft of weak, short-period SE swell (36 energy) and a stiff onshore ENE wind at 12 mph. Conditions are messy. Sunday the 30th sees the swell drop in energy (27) but the morning goes glassy with a SSW breeze at 3 mph. That’s the only clean window, but with only 1 ft on offer, it’s a total knee-slapper. By Monday the 31st, the wind goes light offshore from the W at 6 mph in the morning, so the surface will be clean, but there’s basically no push (17 energy). It’s a longboard or stay-home kind of day.
The best of a bad bunch comes Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning sees a gentle offshore from the W at 9 mph, with the swell bumping up to 1 ft from the ESE, but the period stretches to 11 seconds, lifting the combined energy to 55. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Thursday the 3rd has a similar vibe in the morning with a cross-offshore NW breeze at 6 mph, but energy drops back to 45. After that, we hit a long, flat gap. From Friday the 4th of September all the way through to Monday the 7th, the waves are tiny (0.7 ft to 1.0 ft) and the wind is mostly onshore or cross. Not worth getting wet.
Tuesday the 8th of September gives us a brief flash of hope. The morning goes glassy with a light E breeze at 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 1 ft from the SE with a 13-second period, pushing the energy to 78. That’s the best-looking wave of the whole forecast – clean, glassy, and a little bit of period – but it’s still only 1 ft. For 81st Street, that’s about as good as it’s going to get in this window, and it’s still only a "surfable but very ordinary" rating. The rest of that week stays weak, with a small bump in energy on Wednesday the 9th (107 energy) but the swell is short-period and cross-shore wind messes up the afternoon.
By the second weekend, Saturday the 12th of September, we see a weird spike: 4 ft from the NE but with a woeful 4-second period. That’s pure windswell, messy and weak, with an onshore wind. Sunday the 13th sees 3 ft from the ENE with 6-second period and 120 energy, but it’s being hammered by a 16 mph NNW cross-shore wind. That setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.
So, the honest truth? There’s no real standout here. If you had to pick a moment, it’s Tuesday morning the 8th of September. Glassy, a little bit of period, and the water is a touch warmer than normal at 79°. But don’t expect anything world-class. This is a dry spell, and for this area, it’s pretty normal to have a blank run like this. Forecasts can change, but for now, grab a coffee and wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 36°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 56 | 45 | 65 | 33 | 31 | 37 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 6 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross | off | cross | on | off |
High Tide | 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 | 2:42PM1.02m | 3:11AM0.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 7:41AM0.15m | 9:05PM0.23m | |||||||
— | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 36 | 31 | 27 | 29 | 25 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 33 | 28 | 30 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 30 | 31 | 37 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 5 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 4 | SE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 |
16 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 17 | 56 | 45 | 65 | 33 | 31 | 37 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | SE 8 | ENE 4 | NE 5 | S 3 | — | — | SE 7 | ESE 13 | SE 7 | S 5 | S 5 | — | SSE 4 | NE 6 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 |
8 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 11 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 4 | — | 6 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | — | E 9 | E 9 | — | NE 5 | — | — | ESE 8 | — | — | ESE 7 | — | E 8 | ENE 7 | — | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 |
1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 7 | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SSW 4 | WSW 3 | SSE 2 | S 4 | WSW 3 | S 4 | S 5 | W 3 | — | S 3 | — | — | WSW 3 | NNW 3 | NNE 4 | — |
20 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 1 | — | 5 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 119 | 152 | 91 | 407 | 474 | 152 | 1144 | 806 | 186 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 342 | 152 | 418 | 530 |
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.











