Miami Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. The forecast for Miami (Miami) is a long stretch of onshore and cross-onshore winds, choppy conditions, and short-period windswell. We’re looking at a solid run of poor surf quality right through the period. The swell energy stays weak to moderate at best, mostly hovering in the 150 to 400 range, which tells you it’s all wind-driven stuff, not any real groundswell. There’s no standout day in this window, so you might want to dust off the kiteboard or just find something else to do for a while.

The first few days, starting Monday the 17th of August, are a write-off. We’ve got a moderate cross-onshore breeze from the southeast at 16 mph, bumping up a 5ft to 6ft short-period swell (6-7 seconds) from the ESE. It’s choppy, messy, and just not worth the effort. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing to get excited about there. This pattern holds through the 21st, with wave heights staying around 5ft to 6ft and the wind not giving us any let-up.

We get a slight change of direction over the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd, with the wind swinging more east and easing a touch to 12 mph. The swell drops a bit to 3ft to 5ft, but it’s still onshore and the periods are still short (6-7 seconds). Not good. It’s still poor, just with slightly less bump on it.

Then we hit a small pulse from the 25th of August. The swell builds to 7ft, but it’s accompanied by a 16 mph cross-onshore wind and a 7-second period. That’s just big, blown-out, and messy. The energy levels jump up to around 380-390, meaning there’s some push, but it’s all wasted on the chop. This is definitely not a day for beginners – that size with that wind is just a battle. And it’s still not good for anyone else.

The rest of the run into the first few days of September stays in the same rut. Swell heights bob around the 4ft to 6ft mark, the periods never get past 8 seconds, and the wind stays cross-onshore or onshore. The 29th of August sees a bit more energy (390) with 6ft swell from the E, but the 16 mph SE wind just ruins it. There are no clean windows here, folks. Every single surf recommendation in the data is a zero. The whole 16 days is a blank run, which isn't uncommon for this exposed stretch of beach and reef when the trade winds set in like this.

So, my honest take: there is nothing on offer that I can point to and say, “go get some.” The long-range stuff into the first week of September is a bit more promising in terms of size, but with the same wind issues, I wouldn’t hold my breath. It tends not to stay this poor forever, and a forecast change can flip it on its head, but for now, I’d shelve the shortboard and find a sheltered spot or a different hobby. It’s more of a kitesurfing setup than a paddling one out here.

Stay tuned, though. I’ll be watching it for any signs of a shift.

Rusty.

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