Fort Walton Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and quiet for the Fort Walton Pier region. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf ahead, so you’ll want to keep your expectations in check. It’s not a total write-off, but pick your moments carefully.

We start off with a couple of days of nothing. The swell energy is nearly zero, with weak readings in the single digits (3-10). The waves that do show are tiny—just 0.3ft to 1ft—and with periods of 2 to 4 seconds, it’s just wind chop and not worth paddling out for. It’s mostly clean early, but the wind swings onshore in the afternoons and kills it. A few of these mornings do have light cross-offshore breezes, which is nice, but there’s simply no wave to push you around.

The middle of the week brings a slight bump. On Wednesday the 16th, we finally see a little pulse of southeast swell push in. We’re looking at around 3ft faces with a 5-6 second period. The combined energy is still weak to moderate, hitting the 28-46 range. Thursday the 17th holds similar small surf, around 2ft, and it’s clean with those offshore winds. It’s surfable, but still very ordinary. You’ll be on a foam board or a longboard, just getting a few crumbly rides. It’s a beach break and with this short period, it’s not going to be holding its shape all that well. There’s a brief window on Friday afternoon the 18th when it goes glassy, but the swell is still tiny.

Over the weekend and into the next week, we’re still stuck in this pattern. The swell sticks around the 1ft to 2ft mark, mostly from the SSE, with periods in the 6-7 second range. Energy readings stay mostly in the teens and twenties, which is weak surf. You’ll have clean mornings with light offshore or cross-offshore winds, giving you a few small, soft waves if you’re desperate. A standout moment might be Tuesday the 22nd afternoon, where we see the energy pick up a bit to 47, with a gentle offshore breeze and 2ft surf. It’s not a day to call in sick for, but it'll be the most rideable of the run. Better than nothing.

The end of the run, around September 24th and 25th, flatlines again. Swell drops to next to nothing, readings fall back to the single digits (2-4), and it’s just not worth it. We’re looking at a flat spell that stretches for a few days. There is a little bump forecast for the 26th with 3ft and a 4-second period, but that’s just wind slop from the WSW, so don’t get too excited.

Honestly, there are no true standouts in this whole run. The overall quality is poor and the swell is weak. You’re better off checking the forecast again in a week to see if anything changes. This stretch is more about just getting wet on a small board than scoring anything decent.

Alright, that’s the long and short of it. Hang tight. It can’t stay flat forever.

Rusty.

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