1st street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here.

Let’s be honest right off the bat – for the next couple of weeks, 1st Street is not going to be the place to be. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, choppy, and generally poor conditions. The water temp is sitting at about 82°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only bright spot.

Starting now, we’ve got a gap of nearly two weeks with hardly anything worth paddling out for. The first few days, through the end of August, are mostly tiny waves under 2ft with cross or onshore winds. The combined energy is weak, barely getting into double digits most times, and even when the wind goes offshore on the 27th afternoon, the swell is just 5ft with a short, weak 6-second period. It’s surfable but very ordinary.

The pattern holds into the first week of September. We see a bit more energy, with combined energy values hitting 198 on the 1st and climbing to over 500 by the 3rd, but the swell direction is mainly from the east and the wind is often cross or cross-onshore, so it’s never clean enough to call it good.

Now, the standout. It comes on the 4th and 5th of September. The 4th afternoon sees a 8ft swell from the ENE, but with 28 mph cross-off winds, it’s clean but powerful. The energy is really strong at 1476. On the 5th morning, we’re looking at a solid 10ft from the ENE. That’s big – over 8ft, so this is for experts only. Winds are 19 mph cross-off, and the energy number is a massive 993. But, the swell period is only 8 seconds, so while it’ll be powerful, it’s a shorter-period swell which can get a bit crumbly at a sandbar like this.

After that, the 7th afternoon offers a small window. A 4ft swell from the E with glassy conditions and a light southerly breeze. The energy is moderate at 266. It’s the best of a rough lot, but still not great.

So, the bottom line: there is a real blank run here for most of the forecast. The only real window for experienced surfers is that big pulse on the 5th of September, and even then, it’s a short-period groundswell that won’t hold its shape perfectly at a sandbar. If you’re a kitesurfer, those big, clean cross-off days on the 4th and 5th might be more your speed. For paddle surfing, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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