Flagler Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I gotta be straight with you—Flagler Pier is looking pretty quiet for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much to get excited about, so let’s break it down.

Right now, through the first week and a half, the waves are small and messy. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and the swell is coming from the NE, but it’s tiny—like 1 ft to 2 ft with short periods around 6 to 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak, mostly in the double digits (68, 36, 23, that kind of range). The water temperature is sitting around 83°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. Conditions are just poor for surfing, and honestly, there’s nothing to recommend.

We’ve got a gap of nearly two weeks with no real surf on offer. The first hint of something bigger doesn’t show up until Sunday, September 20th. That morning, the swell picks up to 4 ft from the NE with a period of 8 seconds, and the energy climbs to 181—moderate, finally. By the afternoon, it’s 5 ft from the NE with a 10-second period, and the energy jumps to 406, which is strong. But here’s the catch: the wind is onshore or cross-on from the E at 12 mph, so it’s going to be choppy. The surf is still rated poor, so even though the size is there, the quality is not.

Monday, September 21st, keeps that 5 ft NE swell with 9-second periods and energy in the 350s, but again, cross-on wind from the E at 12-15 mph. It’s a beach break setup, so with that onshore wind, it’s going to be a mess. More suited for kite surfing than paddle surfing, if you ask me.

The standout, if you can call it that, is the afternoon of Sunday, September 20th, and Monday, September 21st. The swell is 5 ft to 5 ft from the NE, which is the right direction for Flagler Pier, but the wind kills it. For a surfer, you’d want to be out there only if you’re desperate and don’t mind the chop. Beginners should stay away from anything over 5 ft anyway, and the wind won’t help.

The long-range stuff around September 23rd shows 5 ft to 6 ft from the E with 7-second periods and energy in the 220s to 320s, but again, cross-on wind. No clean glassy conditions, and the period is short, so the waves won’t have much shape.

Bottom line: There’s no proper surf on offer for the first 11 days, and then when the swell does show up, the wind ruins it. It’s a blank run, and it’s just one of those stretches for Flagler Pier. Keep an eye on the forecasts, though—it tends not to stay poor for long.

Rusty.

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