Surf Forecasts:
81st Street surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 4s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 56 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 4s period with SSE 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 4s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 4s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at 81st Street in the next 16 days are 0.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 4s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 4s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 81st Street over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got on the books for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, we’re looking at a pretty flat and quiet stretch out there. For the most part, the surf just doesn’t show up in any meaningful way. The first real solid week or so is all small, weak, and messy – nothing that’s going to get anyone out of bed early. The biggest gap is from now right through until around the 30th of August. There’s a real dry spell in there.
The only time things start to look a little more interesting is right at the back end of the forecast, around the 30th of August and into the 31st. But even then, it’s not perfect.
Monday, 19th of August onward – We’re looking at tiny waves, mostly under 2 ft and ridden with cross-shore or onshore breezes. The energy is low – barely a whisper in the water. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s a touch above average and feels nice.
Thursday, 22nd of August – A little glassy morning with a 1 ft swell from the ESE, but that's barely a ripple. The energy is a meagre 23. Not worth suiting up for.
Sunday, 25th of August – The wind turns offshore on the morning with a WSW breeze at 9 mph and a 0.7 ft easterly swell at a long 13 seconds. Clean, but you’d be hard-pressed to get a ride.
Sunday, 30th of August – Here’s where it gets a bit more real. A 5 ft swell from the ENE starts to build through the morning. The period is short at 8 seconds, so it’s not going to have much shape or power, but the combined energy hits 280 – that’s moderate energy. It’s cross-shore with a slight chop at 81st Street, so not pristine, but it’s the biggest we’ve seen by a long shot. For a beginner spot like this, that 5 ft is pushing the limits for learners.
Monday, 31st of August – The morning looks like the best window of the whole run. 4 ft from the ENE, period still short at 7 seconds, but the wind is glassy – WNW at 3 mph. It’ll be clean and rideable. The energy is moderate at 139. This is the one to circle if you're desperate for a paddle. It’s small, but it’s the best of a bad lot.
So, to sum it up: not much happening for over a week, then a couple of days at the very end with small, marginal surf. Nothing is a standout, but if you have to pick, the morning of Monday the 31st of August is your best bet for a clean, glassy session on some small waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 59mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Thu night, calm by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 4 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 13 | E 12 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 9 | 17 | 24 | 16 | 37 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 13 | 16 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 14 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | glassy | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross | off | off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:35PM0.99m | 00:49AM0.82m | 1:22PM0.95m | 1:36AM0.77m | 2:11PM0.92m | 2:26AM0.73m | 3:06PM0.89m | 3:23AM0.70m | 4:05PM0.87m | 4:24AM0.70m | 5:04PM0.88m | 5:25AM0.73m | 5:58PM0.91m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:36PM0.12m | 6:32AM0.09m | 7:28PM0.19m | 7:16AM0.15m | 8:23PM0.24m | 8:05AM0.20m | 9:22PM0.28m | 9:00AM0.23m | 10:23PM0.29m | 10:00AM0.25m | 11:20PM0.28m | 10:59AM0.24m | 00:10AM0.25m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 9 | — | 8 | 37 | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 27 | 33 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 36 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | SSE 6 | ESE 12 |
| kJ | 6 | 3 | 17 | 24 | 16 | 37 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 14 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 14 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | — | SSE 6 | SE 6 | — | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | NE 4 | E 13 | ESE 7 | E 7 |
| kJ | 6 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 12 | — | 6 | 8 | — | 13 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 5 | E 13 | SE 12 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 15 | E 15 | E 9 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 6 | E 12 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | — | SSE 3 | N 2 | N 3 | — | NE 2 | ENE 3 | SE 5 | — | SE 3 | SSE 4 | — | NE 3 | NE 3 | NE 4 | NE 4 | S 5 | WSW 3 | SE 6 | SSE 5 |
| kJ | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | 3 | 20 | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 2 | 9 | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 126 | 313 | 280 | 119 | 186 | 126 | 190 | 152 | 152 | 760 | 1284 | 0 | 530 | 338 | 190 | 152 | 109 | 126 | 164 | 186 | 345 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our 81st Street surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest