Flagler Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is a tough one to call, folks. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Flagler Pier for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a real flat spell. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak energy that never really gets its act together. The combined swell energy is stuck in the low double digits for most of the run, barely cracking 100 on a couple of afternoons, which is a clear sign the ocean is just not interested in producing anything rideable for a paddle surfer.

The first record of any surf is for Thursday the 20th of August, but that’s a massive tease. We’ve got a tiny 1.0ft swell from the ESE with a 9-second period, and the energy is only 17. That’s barely a ripple. It’s a similar story going into the weekend. Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd offer up the same knee-high mush, with the wind swinging around but the heights staying at 1.0ft to 1ft. The best you’ll get is a clean, glassy morning on the 22nd with a light offshore from the SW, but with wave energy at 19, it’s just not enough to push a surfboard.

We spend the entire first week and into the second week with the same story. Tiny swells, short periods, and very low energy readings. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. The wind is often light and clean, especially on the mornings, but the ocean just has no push. It’s a case of poetic conditions with zero power. By Friday the 28th of August, we finally see a brief flicker of life. The morning session shows a 2ft ESE swell with an 8-second period, and the energy jumps to 67. The wind is glassy from the WSW, so it would be clean, but it’s still a very weak, short-period wave. It’s surfable but very ordinary.

The only real standout in this entire 16-day window is a very marginal one, but it’s the best on offer. If you’re desperate, the Saturday morning of the 29th of August is your best bet. The wind is light offshore from the SSW, which will keep the surface clean. The swell is 2ft from the E with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is 60. It’s not great, it’s not even good, but it’s the cleanest, most organized small wave we’re going to see. The 10-second period gives it a tiny bit of shape, but with the energy so low, it’s going to be a longboard-only affair. Expect plenty of company, as Flagler Pier is often crowded, and this is the only game in town.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. The first few days of September look equally bleak, with the swell barely reaching 2ft and the energy mostly staying under 100. There’s a period of onshore wind from the NE on the 3rd and 4th of September that will only make things worse. The water temps are about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

Bottom line: We’ve got a roughly 10-day gap of truly poor to non-existent surf before a brief, small window on the 28th and 29th. The 29th of August is the one to circle, but keep your expectations on the floor. It’s the kind of day where you’re just happy to be floating.

Rusty.

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