Hollywood Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Hollywood Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the forecast is looking pretty grim. We're staring down a long stretch of marginal to poor surf conditions that just won't let up. The water temp is running at 71°, which is a solid 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that's a very unusual anomaly, making the water feel like a warm bath.

The first real glimmer of anything worth paddling for doesn't show up until Friday, August 7th, in the morning. Even then, it's a struggle. A small 2ft swell from the SSW is ticking over with a period of 19 seconds, which is a very long period groundswell. The combined energy hits 305 (moderate), but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze from the south, and the report says "poor surf conditions" – it's gonna be a messy, choppy one. That afternoon, things get a little less wind-affected, but still only a "marginal" call.

The next tiny window appears on the morning of Saturday, August 8th. A 2ft SSW swell with a period of 18 seconds, light cross-onshore winds, and combined energy of 293 (moderate). Again, it's tagged as "poor surf conditions" with small wind ripples. The afternoon cleans up slightly with a light onshore breeze, but it's still only rated "marginal."

After that, it's back to the same old story. The swell height stays locked in the 1ft to 2ft range for days, and the wind is almost always from the south or southwest, giving us a cross-onshore or onshore flow. The "poor surf conditions" tag is a constant companion.

We finally see a bit of a pulse around Friday, August 14th. The morning shows a 2ft SSW swell, period of 18 seconds, and combined energy of 352 (moderate). The afternoon is a little better – a 3ft SSW swell (still small but the biggest in the whole run), period of 17 seconds, and combined energy of 593 (moderate). The wind is still cross-onshore, but it's a "gentle" breeze, and the report is only "marginal." It's the best the whole window has to offer, but let's be real: it's still a long way from good.

Saturday, August 15th, keeps the 3ft swell going in the morning, with a 16-second period and combined energy of 474 (moderate), and light onshore winds, but it's still "marginal." The afternoon drops to 3ft, and by Sunday it's back to 2ft.

The honest truth is that everything in this 16-day window is a struggle. The best, most hopeful moment is the afternoon of Friday, August 14th, with the biggest swell of the period (3ft) and a bit of energy behind it. But with the constant cross-onshore or onshore wind, and the persistent "poor" or "marginal" tags, it's really hard to get excited. If you're absolutely desperate for a paddle, that's your best bet, but the conditions are against us. Things might pick up if the forecasts change, but for now, it's a tough call.

Keep your eyes on the horizon, because this run won't last forever.

Rusty.

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