Flagler Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s be real – Flagler Pier is a tough watch for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long, flat stretch right off the bat with poor waves through around the 16th of September. Tiny little ankle-snappers from the east and southeast, mostly under 2 feet, with onshore or cross-shore wind messing things up. There are a few calm windows (like Sunday morning the 13th and Monday morning the 14th), but the wave energy is really weak (28-40 range), so you’ll be waiting a long time for a closeout. Not much to do but give it a rest.

Around Wednesday the 16th, we start to see a change, but it’s gnarly at first. Onshore wind from the NE hits, and the swell bumps to 3 feet on the 16th morning – but the period is a terrible 5 seconds, just pure wind slop. By the afternoon, it’s 4 feet with moderate energy (102), but that NE wind is going to wreck any chance of a decent wave. This onshore, short-period junk continues through the 17th, 18th, and 19th. Honestly, it’s unrideable for what feels like a week and a half.

Now, listen up – there’s a real shift coming. Starting Monday the 21st of September, the energy picks up fast. Monday afternoon shows a 5 foot NE swell with energy jumping to 239 and an 8-second period. The wind stays onshore at 15 mph, so it’ll be messy and powerful, dumping hard. But the real standout is Tuesday the 22nd of September morning. We’re talking a solid 5 feet of NE swell, with the energy meter pegged at 504 – that’s strong, powerful juice. The period is still short (8 seconds), so it will be steep, dumpy, and tricky – expert territory for sure. Over 5 feet of short-period swell on a beach break is gnarly, heavy shorebreak with strong rips. Beginners, stay on the sand. If you’re skilled, you might find some heavy, shifting peaks. The wind is cross-on from the NNE at 18 mph, so it’s going to be textured, but the raw power is there. The afternoon drops back to 3 feet, still heavy (134 energy). There are options through the 23rd, 24th, and 25th with swell hanging between 2 and 5 feet from the NE, but the wind stays onshore or cross-on, chewing it up.

With constant onshore wind and short-period swell, this setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers. The 22nd of September morning is your best, most powerful call, but it’s a messy, expert-only beast. After the 22nd, it slowly fades into smaller, cleaner but weaker waves. The 25th of September morning might clean up with NE wind at 9 mph and 2 feet, but it’s still onshore and weak (94 energy). The 26th looks like it fades out completely.

So: a massive flat gap until the 16th, then a bunch of poor windswell. The one true standout is Tuesday the 22nd of September morning for raw power (experts only). Forecasts change, but right now, patience is the name of the game.

Rusty.

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