Fernandina Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I'll be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The forecast shows a long, quiet period with nothing worth getting excited about for most of the next two weeks. For the first week and a half, the surf is just not there. There are small, weak waves from the ESE in the 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft range, but with funky winds and close to zero energy – the combined energy is often in the teens or twenties – it's a flat spell. The one small exception is a little bump on the afternoon of Sunday the 23rd, with a 3 ft SE swell, but the period is a short, unsurfable 4 seconds, and it's a messy cross-onshore wind. Don't bother.

The wait finally ends around Thursday the 27th. We start seeing a bit of life in the water. Through the end of August and into September, the sea state begins to improve slightly. The first real mention of surfable, though very ordinary, conditions comes on the afternoon of Thursday the 27th. A 4 ft swell from the SE with clean, cross-offshore wind from the WNW. The combined energy is a moderate 78, so it’s not a total washout.

The best bet for the whole outlook comes on the morning of Sunday the 30th. We’ve got a 1 ft swell from the SE, but get this – it’s riding on a 12-second period, which is a proper groundswell. The wind is glassy, flat calm out of the SW. The water temp is a warm 85°, and the anomaly is 0.9°, so it’s around average for this time of year. The combined energy is 89. It’s not going to be a paddle-out, but for a clean, long period SE swell, a glassy morning at Fernandina Beach Pier is the quiet, early-morning option. The swell direction is ESE, which is slightly off the optimum NE, but the glassy conditions and the long period will clean it up nicely. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, and on a Sunday morning with that tiny swell, crowds are only a possibility.

Looking further out, the first days of September bring a bit more energy. The morning of Tuesday the 1st of September has a 1 ft ESE swell with a 13-second period and a combined energy of 120, but it's onshore. The afternoon sees a jump in energy to 261, but again, it's an onshore wind. The morning of Thursday the 3rd of September is one to note. A 3 ft swell from the E with a 9-second period, and a glassy calm wind. The combined energy is 135. That’s the best-looking window of the lot, though it's still small. The sets will be clean and organized, but it's a far cry from pumping.

So, to sum it up: the standouts are the glassy mornings of Sunday the 30th of August and Thursday the 3rd of September. Both offer clean, small waves with a long period feel. The rest of the period is a write-off. You’ll be chasing a dream more than a wave.

Rusty.

Read more