Fernandina Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for us. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch. The surf is going to be pretty flat and underwhelming for a long stretch. We’re looking at a solid gap of about a week with nothing really worth paddling out for. The first real sign of life doesn’t show up until Tuesday, September 1st, so we’ve got a bit of a lull to get through.

From now through the end of August, it’s a sad story. Tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, chopping up what little energy there is. The swell is tiny, mostly under 2 ft, and the period is short and weak. The combined wave energy is very low, often in the teens to low 80s (38-96), so there’s just no punch. It’s the kind of thing where you’d be better off staying on the beach.

The first real chance to get wet comes on Tuesday morning, September 1st. The conditions finally turn glassy, with a light breeze from the SSE. The swell is a small 1 ft from the ESE, but the period stretches way out to a very long 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and while it’s tiny, the combined energy is a moderate 82. It’s a long-period swell, which means it’s better for a point break or a reef than a straight beach break, but at Fernandina Beach Pier (United States), it’s a beach/pier setup. Those long-period swells can be a bit tricky here, breaking too straight, but if you’re patient, there might be a clean, glassy wave every now and then. The water is warm, around 83°, which is about average for this time of year.

The rest of the first week of September is still a grind. The swell picks up a little, but the wind is unreliable. The best mornings are on Wednesday, September 2nd, with a light cross-offshore wind from the SW and a 1 ft swell from the ESE at 13 seconds. The combined energy is 96, so it’s still weak. Thursday, September 3rd, and Friday, September 4th, offer some gentle offshore winds, especially on Friday with a 9 mph wind from the W. The swell is around 2 ft from the ESE, with a period of 12 seconds, and the combined energy reaches 169. That’s still a small wave, but it’s clean and you could find a few fun ones on a longboard.

By the weekend of September 5th and 6th, the swell drops off again. The wind shifts onshore, and the quality goes out the window. The only real standout in this whole forecast is that early morning on September 1st. The glassy conditions are rare, and that long-period energy is interesting, even if it’s small. The rest of the time, it’s just waiting for something better.

Rusty

Read more