81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about 81st Street for the next couple of weeks. It’s a pretty grim outlook, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with very little to get excited about.

The first sign of any surfable waves doesn’t show up until Wednesday, August 5th, and even then it’s a struggle. The whole 16-day window is mostly filled with small, weak energy readings. The combined energy of all swells directed here barely cracks moderate territory just once, hitting 188 on Monday afternoon, August 3rd, but with a storm risk and cross-off wind, it’s all messy. After that, it’s a desert of low numbers, mostly in the teens and twenties, which is just weak, anemic energy.

The only slight glimmer comes on Wednesday, August 5th, in the morning. We’ve got a tiny 2 ft swell from the SSE, but a light SSW breeze keeps it cross-off and clean. The score is a “surfable but ordinary” 1 out of 10. It’s barely a pulse, but it’s the best we’ve got. The water temperature is a warm 78°, which is about average for this time of year.

For beginners, this is a tough run. The swell never gets above 4 ft, so size isn’t the issue; it’s the complete lack of any decent wave energy. The swell period is always short, under 9 seconds, meaning weak, choppy lines. This break is already inconsistent, and this forecast is a perfect example of why. If you’re not a kite surfer, there’s really nothing to paddle out for.

The rest of the window is a write-off. From Thursday, August 6th, right through to Tuesday, August 18th, it’s constant poor surf conditions with tiny waves and a mix of cross-onshore, onshore, and even glassy conditions on Monday, August 17th, but with a pathetic 0.7 ft swell. The energy is never there.

So, for the next 16 days, 81st Street is a skip. It’s a blank run that’s pretty normal for this area. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d save your energy and wait for a better pulse.

Rusty.

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