81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell you straight. It’s gonna be a quiet stretch out at 81st Street. The next 16 days are looking mostly flat, with nothing that’s gonna get your heart pumping. We’ve got a whole lotta small, weak surf and a lot of poor conditions. You’re gonna be waiting a while for anything decent.

The water temp is sitting at 79°, which is about normal for this time of year. Not hot, not cold, just standard.

Right now, this Wednesday morning, we’ve got a tiny 2ft of swell out of the southeast with a weak 6-second period. The combined energy is a meager 37, so there’s just nothing behind it. The wind is a light cross-off, but the surf is just too poor to even bother with. It’s a washout.

Thursday and Friday are more of the same. Thursday morning shows a dribble of 2ft, but it’s still junk. Friday morning has a little 2ft swell with a light offshore wind, but the energy is weak – only 32. It’ll be clean but there’s no power to it. You’d be scratching for anything.

The weekend isn't looking any better. Saturday morning bumps up to 2ft with a bit more energy at 66, and a moderate offshore wind. It’s surfable, but it’s really ordinary. Saturday afternoon drops back down. Sunday is a write-off with waves dropping to 2ft and then a tiny 0.7ft by the afternoon.

We’re looking at a real desert from Monday the 11th through to the 17th. The swell is consistently under 2ft, and on many days, the energy is in the single digits. It’s a long, flat spell. There’s a day on the 13th with a clean offshore wind, but the swell is only 1ft. Not worth the paddle.

The one thing that might perk your ears up is early on the 16th, there’s a chance of a rain shower and a cross-onshore breeze, but the swell is still tiny. Then on the 18th, we see a slight pulse. Tuesday morning the 18th shows 3ft of SSE swell with a period of 7 seconds and a glassy morning. The energy jumps to 63. It’s not big, but it’s the best the window has to offer. The problem is, it’s still only rated as "surfable but very ordinary." It'll be clean, but don't expect any gems.

Bottom line: this is a blank stretch. The break is inconsistent at the best of times, and this forecast is showing very little to get excited about. It’s a classic case of waiting for the next system to roll through. Forecasts change, so keep an eye out, but for now, the board stays in the car.

Rusty.

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