81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's get straight into it, because we've got a bit of a bleak picture here at 81st Street. The entire 16-day window is looking really flat and uninspiring. There are no good surf options on offer, I'm afraid. We're looking at a long stretch of minimal swell and poor conditions, with a gap of over a week where there's practically nothing to get excited about. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only interesting thing going on.

The first few days, from the 14th through the 18th, are basically a washout. You're looking at tiny, weak waves – mostly around 0.7ft to 1ft – with a combined energy that's barely a whisper (27 to 13). The wind is all over the place, mostly cross or cross-on, making it choppy and messy. On Wednesday morning the 15th, there's a brief moment of offshore wind, but with only 1ft of swell and a short period of 9 seconds, it's just not enough to do anything with.

We finally get a slight pulse on the 19th and 20th of July, with the swell bumping up to around 3ft from the SSE. The energy picks up a bit, hitting 80 and 72 respectively, but it's still a weak, short-period swell. The kicker is that the wind is offshore on the Sunday morning and Monday morning, which is a positive, but the waves are still just "surfable but very ordinary." You could get a few ankle-biters if you're desperate, but it's not worth paddling out for.

Through the rest of the week and into the next, it's more of the same – tiny waves, onshore winds, and a lot of chop. There's a moment on the 25th that looks glassy, with 2ft from the ESE, but it's a weak swell and the energy is still low (55). It's clean, but you'd be lucky to find a rideable face.

The swell does try to push a bit on the 27th, hitting 5ft from the SE with a moderate energy reading of 145, but the period is a terrible 5 seconds. That's just wind swell garbage, and it's coming with strong onshore winds. It's not going to be surfable, and honestly, with that much wind and chop, it's looking more like a kiteboarding session than a paddle surf day.

So, to sum it up: there's no standout, no hidden gem, nothing to get the stoke up for. It's a flat spell, and it's pretty normal for this area to have these blank runs. The last hope is a quick offshore on the 28th morning with 3ft from the SE, but it's a weak, short-period wave. The forecast can always change, but for now, keep the board in the garage.

Rusty.

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