Fifth Street (Miami) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: the next 16 days are a rough stretch for us here in Miami. We’re staring at a long flat spell with barely anything worth paddling for.

We start on Friday 28 August, but there’s nothing to get excited about. Fifth Street (Miami) has a tiny 0.3ft swell from the NE with a 12-second period, and the combined wave energy is weak, only 13. The wind is cross-on from the ESE at 9 mph, making things choppy. It’s “poor surf conditions,” plain and simple. Water temp is 88°, a touch warmer than usual for this time of year.

Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August are more of the same. Tiny swells, onshore winds, no quality. The swell bumps to 2ft on Sunday morning from the east, but with a period of only 4 seconds, it’s all wind chop. Energy is still weak, around 17. Monday 31 August through Wednesday 2 September stays the same—2ft to 2ft of short-period, onshore junk. Not worth it.

We do see a shift in wind later in the week. On Monday 7 September and Tuesday 8 September, we finally get some clean conditions with light offshore or cross-offshore breezes, but the swell remains at a pathetic 0.3ft to 0.7ft. No power. Wednesday 9 September morning has a gentle offshore wind from the west at 9 mph with a 0.7ft easterly swell, period 11 seconds. The energy is still very low at 14. It’s clean, but there’s barely a wave.

There is a slight uptick in period on Tuesday 8 September afternoon—a 0.7ft easterly swell with a 15-second period, which is long-period groundswell. Combined energy hits 21, still weak. That long period might give you a couple of lined-up waves, but at that size, it’s knee-high. Best for a longboard or foil. Because it’s long period and a beach/reef setup, it could be a bit straight and tricky.

The last few days, from Thursday 10 September onward, are more of the same: tiny swells, mostly onshore or cross-shore winds, and energy readings in the single digits or low teens. There’s a clean window on Saturday 12 September morning with a light offshore from the WNW at 6 mph, but again, only 0.7ft of NNE swell. It’s clean, but there’s no water moving.

No standouts here. Not one session gets a thumbs up. Fifth Street is inconsistent and sheltered, and it’s showing. If you’re into kiteboarding, those afternoons with 12-19 mph cross-shore winds and a bit of chop might look better, but for paddle surfing, this is a 16-day blank. It happens around here—long flat spells are part of the deal. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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