Ocean City - 8th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Ocean City - 8th Street.

Right off the bat, I gotta be real with you: this 16-day stretch is looking flat and frustrating. There’s nothing to get excited about for the first week and a half, and honestly, the whole window is a struggle. The first time we even see a hint of something rideable is not until Friday, August 7th. That’s a solid gap of zero surf recommendations from now all the way through the first week of August.

The water temp is sitting at about average for this time of year at 75°, so at least you won't freeze while you're sitting out there waiting for a wave.

For the first week, it’s all tiny, weak swell. The combined wave energy is low, reading mostly in the 30s and 40s (like 35 to 63), which is barely a pulse. The wind does swing offshore a few times – like Wednesday morning the 29th with a clean NW 12 mph breeze and again Thursday morning the 30th with WNW 12 mph – but there’s just no swell to work with. It’s frustrating because the conditions would be clean, but the ocean is basically a lake.

We do get a little bump in energy on Monday the 3rd, with a 3ft SSE swell showing up, but the period is short at 7 seconds. It’s not going to produce much. On the 5th of August, we see the swell trying to push to 4ft, but the wind swings onshore from the SSW at 12 mph, chopping it all up.

Finally, on Friday, August 7th, we get a small window. The morning is glassy and clean with a light WNW 3 mph wind and a 2ft S swell. It’s tiny, but it’s rideable. The afternoon is even better with a 3ft S swell and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The energy is still weak, around 66, but it’s the best we’ve seen. This is the one bright spot, but don’t expect anything special.

Then on Monday, August 10th, the swell jumps to 4ft from the S with a 7-second period and the combined energy hits 248, which is moderate. But the wind is onshore from the ESE, making it choppy and messy. This setup is honestly more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, with all that wind and bumpy surface.

The 11th of August has a morning glass-off again, with a clean 3ft S swell, but the afternoon gets blown out.

So, to sum it up – there are no standouts here. The best on offer is Friday, August 7th, with clean, tiny waves, and maybe the morning of August 11th. It’s slim pickings. For a spot that’s fairly consistent, this is a disappointing run, but forecasts can always change.

Rusty.

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