Fort Lauderdale 14th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Fort Lauderdale 14th Street.

Well, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this stretch of the next 16 days is looking pretty flat for us. The first solid recommendation doesn’t pop up until the very end, so we’re looking at a long, quiet gap from now all the way through. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 87°F, but that’s about the only thing that’s working in our favor for a while.

We start off with nothing happening. Saturday the 29th has a tiny 0.7ft easterly windswell with a period of just 8 seconds, and the wind is a messy cross-onshore. The combined energy is weak (16). It’s a poor surf conditions call all around. Sunday the 30th tries to bump up to 2ft from the ESE, but with a period of only 4 seconds, it’s basically just a bump on the water. That’s not surf, that’s a ripple. The energy is still low (29).

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September are more of the same—tiny, weak, and mostly onshore. We do get a bit of a longer period on the afternoon of the 1st at 12 seconds, but it’s only 0.7ft and the wind is choppy. That’s a tease, not a wave. The rest of the first week into the second week stays flat, with heights barely cracking 2ft and the wind never really cooperating. The combined energy values stay in the double digits, often below 30, which tells you there’s no real push.

Finally, we get a tiny glimmer in the second week. On the 8th of September, the morning shows a 1ft ESE swell with a period jumping to 12 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell signal, and the combined energy hits 54, which is still weak but at least it’s something. The wind is light and from the SE, coming straight onshore but very light. It’s still not going to be much to ride.

Then on the 9th of September, Wednesday morning, the wind goes glassy out of the SW at just 3 mph. The swell is still only 1.0ft from the ESE (9 seconds), so don’t get your hopes up for any size, but if you’re desperate for a slippery little log ride, it will be clean. The energy is only 30.

The only real standout in this whole 16-day window is the very last day. On the 13th of September, Sunday morning, the swell builds to 3ft from the NNE with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy finally climbs to 98—that’s the highest we see by a long shot. By Sunday afternoon, it pushes to 3ft from the NNE and the energy breaks into three digits at 124. The problem? The wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 19 mph, making it lumpy and choppy. For a sheltered spot like Fort Lauderdale 14th Street, that’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. It’s a beach break setup, and with that wind and 3ft of lumpy swell, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. If you’re an expert and you’re really desperate, you might find a closeout, but it’s not going to be pretty.

So, the honest truth? There’s no good surf in this 16-day window. The forecast can always change, but right now, leave the boards in the car and go for a swim.

Rusty

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