Fifth Street (Miami) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get honest here. I’ve looked over what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks, and to be straight with you – it ain’t pretty. The whole stretch from now through to the start of August is flat, weak, and messy. There’s a long gap of poor conditions with only one tiny flicker of hope right at the tail end of the period. So, brace yourselves.

We kick off from Saturday the 18th of July, and honestly, for over a week there’s absolutely nothing worth paddling out for. Day after day, we’re looking at tiny, weak windswell – mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft, with periods so short they barely count. The combined wave energy sits in the low double digits (7 to 30), which is a dead giveaway – just weak, sloppy junk. Winds are cross-onshore from the SSE and SE, gusting 9 to 12 mph, keeping things choppy and uninviting. Fifth Street (Miami) is a sheltered beach and reef setup that needs a solid push from the NNE to work, but we’re getting almost nothing from that direction. It’s inconsistent at the best of times, and these conditions are just a write-off.

That stretch runs through Saturday the 18th right up to Sunday the 26th of July. You’re looking at around nine days of flatness. Even when we get a brief moment of cleaner cross-offshore winds on the 27th and 28th, the swell is barely 0.3 ft – you’d need a magnifying glass to see a wave. A couple of afternoons around the 28th and 29th do show a longer period of 9 seconds from the NE, but the heights are still tiny. The wind picks up, too – 19 to 22 mph on the 29th – so if there’s any ripple, it’ll be blown to bits. That setup, with that strong wind and minimal surf, honestly looks better for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Now, there is one date that stands out as the best option – though that’s not saying much. On Thursday the 30th of July, the morning shows a tiny 0.7 ft swell from the NNE, period of 8 seconds, and combined energy of just 7. Not great. But the real "standout" – if we can call it that – is Friday the 31st of July. Both morning and afternoon show 1 ft from the NNE, period 7 seconds, and combined energy up to 20 to 25. That’s still weak, but it’s the biggest we see over the whole run. Winds are onshore from the ESE at 12 to 16 mph, so it’ll be bumpy. Still, if you’re desperate, that Friday morning might give you something tiny and rideable. It’s rubbish, but it’s the best rubbish we’ve got.

Water temperature is sitting at about 87°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a degree or so above average. Feels like a bath, but at least you won’t need a wetsuit.

For the second week, it stays flat and uninspiring all the way through to Sunday the 2nd of August. Nothing changes – tiny swells, onshore winds, poor quality.

So the bottom line? This is a tough stretch. The forecast is grim, and the only faint glimmer is Friday the 31st of July. Keep your expectations in the gutter, and maybe that Friday might just surprise you. Otherwise, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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