Flagler Avenue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, ol' Rusty here with your Flagler Avenue forecast. Gotta be straight with ya – this is a flat spell that’s gonna test your patience. There’s pretty much nothing worth paddling out for in the immediate days, but I’ll walk you through the whole 16-day stretch.

Right now, we’re looking at a long, dry gap. From Tuesday, 18 August, all the way through to mid-week the next week, it’s a grim scene. The swell is tiny – mostly around 0.7ft to 2ft – and the combined wave energy is pitiful, barely cracking 60 (weak energy). The wind is all over the place, and most of the time the comments just say “poor surf conditions.” You’re better off leaving the board in the car.

The first real flicker of hope doesn’t show up until Saturday afternoon, 22 August. Flagler Avenue (Florida) might see a bump to 3ft from the ESE with a 13-second period. That’s a long period groundswell, which gives it a bit more shape. The combined energy jumps to 244 (moderate energy), which is the biggest number in the whole outlook. The wind is cross-off from the W at 12 mph, so it’ll be clean. But the report still calls it “marginal,” so don't expect a classic. That’s the only standout in the first week, and it’s a very average one.

We hit another flat patch from Sunday, 23 August through to Tuesday, 25 August. Tiny swell, weak energy, and onshore winds make it a total write-off.

Things get a little more interesting the second week, but it’s still nothing to write home about. Wednesday morning, 26 August, brings 2ft from the E with a 16-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is 147 (moderate). It’s glassy with light WSW winds, so the surface will be clean. That afternoon picks up to 2ft, 15 seconds, and 234 energy, but it’s cross-shore, so a little bumpy. This stretch from Wednesday to Friday, 28 August, offers the most consistent wave height of the whole period, all around 2ft. The wind favors the mornings, with some offshore or cross-off flows. It’s rideable, but the report calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” For the area, and after this long flat run, it’s the best we’ve got. The crowds at Flagler can be "often" a problem, so on these small days, expect some company if you bother.

Then it fades again. From Saturday, 29 August onward, the wind turns onshore from the NE and ENE, the swell drops back to 2ft or less, and the energy crashes down below 100. The outlook ends on Wednesday, 2 September, with a tiny 1ft and a long period of 13 seconds, but the combined energy is only 46. Poor, clean, but flat.

So, the honest truth: there is no true standout here. If you’re desperate, the window from Wednesday, 26 August through Friday, 28 August is your best bet. The swell is the biggest, the winds are workable, and the water temp is about average for the time of year. Go in with low expectations and you might snag a few little ones.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts. It tends not to stay this poor forever.

Rusty.

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