81st Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s on the cards for our stretch of coast.

To be straight with you, the next 16 days are looking pretty flat and quiet. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much to get excited about. The water temp is sittin’ at 80°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so that’s fine, but the waves just aren’t cooperating.

Things start off slow. Monday the 20th of July is a write-off – tiny weak windswell at 2 ft from the east, period of just 4 seconds, and it’s a messy cross-onshore breeze. Combined energy is a paltry 16, so you’re better off leaving the board at home. That carries on through Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd. On Wednesday morning we do get a pulse of 3 ft from the SSE, period 8 seconds, and a fresh offshore wind from the WSW, which will clean it up a bit. Combined energy hits 120 (moderate), and I can see the afternoon has a little bit of shape with a score, but it’s still just ord'nary. Nothing to plan a session around.

Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are back to poor conditions – cross-onshore winds, small waves, energy dropping right off. Saturday the 25th is similar, with tiny 2 ft ESE swell and light breezes, but it’s just not doing anything.

Now, the one little glimmer in this whole outlook comes on Sunday the 26th of July. We’ve got a morning session with 2 ft from the ESE, period of 8 seconds, and the wind is dead glassy – hardly a breath from the NE at 3 mph. Combined energy is a weak 42, so don’t expect power, but for a small log or a longboard, that glassy surface will be the cleanest wave you’ll find in this whole 16-day stretch. It’s worth a dawny if you’re desperate for a paddle.

After that, the whole first week of August looks poor. Swell stays under 3 ft, periods are short, and the wind is all over the shop. There’s a morning on Monday the 3rd of August with a 2 ft SSE swell and a clean offshore from the WSW, but combined energy is only 31. It’s barely a ripple. The stretch from the end of July through to the 4th of August is a real dry spell – days and days with no real quality on offer.

So, if I’m being honest, there’s no standout surf here. The only thing worth a mention is that glassy Sunday the 26th morning at 81st Street. It’s small and weak, but at least it’ll look pretty. For the rest of it, we’re in a flat spell. It’s one of those quiet periods for this area. Forecasts can change, but for now, don't get your hopes up.

Rusty.

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