Jax Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey crew, Rusty here. Let's break down what's coming our way in feet and knots for a change.

We’re looking at a pretty bleak stretch ahead for Jax Beach Pier. The water's a warm 84°, which is normal for late summer, but the surf is seriously lacking. There’s just no punch in the ocean for the foreseeable future.

It’s a tough start right from Sunday the 16th. We’ve got a weak 2-3ft swell from the southeast with a period of only 4 seconds. The combined energy is way down at 19, so it's basically windswell slop with a cross breeze. Monday and Tuesday the 17th and 18th are cleaner, with a tiny 1-2ft ESE swell coming in at 8-second intervals. The energy is still very low at 41-50. Even with clean winds, you’re talking about ankle-biters.

Wednesday morning the 19th is a brief highlight. The wind goes light offshore from the southwest at just 3 knots, making for glassy conditions. The swell is still only 1-2ft with a 10-second period, and the energy is a modest 53. It’s a clean knee-high wave, but it needs a serious injection of size to be fun.

After that, the taps just turn off. From the afternoon of the 19th all the way through to the 27th of August, there is nothing to even bother with. Wave heights are consistently 1ft or less with energy values stuck in the 20s and 30s. The swell period does stretch out to 12-13 seconds around the 23rd, but with zero height, that long period is just a tease.

We finally see a little life on Thursday afternoon the 27th. The wind goes dead calm and glassy, and the swell period is a solid 12 seconds. The height is still only 1-2ft, but that clean face on a longer period wave will be the prettiest sight of the whole forecast. The energy climbs to 48. It’s still a one-star day, but the most appealing one.

Friday morning the 28th is the best session by a long shot. We’ll see a bump to a 2ft ESE swell with an 11-second period. The combined energy hits 89 and the wind is light and cross-off, making for clean, workable conditions. It’s still small, but there will be some sets that offer a little push.

Following that, it falls apart again. Saturday the 29th shows a jump in energy to 159, but that's misleading. It’s from a short-period 2ft ESE swell (9 seconds) with a choppy onshore wind. It’s a mess. The final days of August are a total write-off with strong onshore winds and storm risks generating nothing but 1-2ft of rough chop.

Bottom line: your best bet is Friday morning, August 28th. That 2ft ESE swell with clean, light winds is the only real session in the whole 16-day run. Thursday afternoon the 27th is your backup for a glassy, tiny wave. Otherwise, save your wax and wait for the next system.

Rusty.

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