Fort Lauderdale 14th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surf is gonna be tough to come by for the next couple of weeks. I'm looking at the forecast and there's really nothing doing for a while. We've got a run of flat, weak conditions that's gonna test your patience.

We're starting off with a serious lull. The water's still warm at 87° which is about normal for this time of year, but that's where the good news ends. For the first several days, we're looking at tiny, sloppy waves, if you can even call them that. It's mostly ankle-biters with terrible periods and a lot of wind chop. To be honest, for the first week, you might be better off with a kite than a surfboard, with those onshore breezes and junky conditions. We're talking a long stretch here, maybe a full week, where there's just no quality surf on the horizon. It's a real bummer, but it happens.

Then we get a small window around the 26th where the energy picks up a touch. It's still nothing to write home about, but there's a slight pulse of swell showing a wave height hitting 3ft early on the 26th morning. The wind is cross-onshore though, which will chop it up. The energy is still on the weak side, reading 75. This isn't a standout, just a brief break in the monotony, but it's still poor quality.

The real issue is that this spot, Fort Lauderdale 14th Street, is inconsistent at the best of times. The swell is just not directed here. We're getting a bunch of short-period windswell that doesn't have any push or form. The swell direction is all over the place, but it never matches what this break really needs to light up. It's a sheltered spot, so it takes a lot to get it going, and we're not seeing that.

Looking further out, there are some glimmers around the 27th and 28th with slightly longer periods (11-10 seconds), but the swell is tiny and the winds are still messy. It’s the same story by the end of the month: lots of close-outs and chop with nothing clean. The energy does build a bit, getting up to 86 on the Thursday morning, which shows there's something moving out there, but it's not translating to surfable waves at this break. It's a lot of water moving around with no shape, and it's gonna be a battle just to get a bogus ride.

So, plain and simple, there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The consistency is just not there. But, this spot can turn on quickly when conditions line up, so don't write it off completely. The forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but for now, leave the board in the car.

Rusty

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