Ocean City - 8th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let's break down the next 16 days for Ocean City – 8th Street. It’s a lean spell, so don't be in a rush to wax up.

The first real chance to paddle out won't come until Monday the 10th, and it's a marginal call. The pattern is a long stretch of poor conditions. The combined swell energy is weak, usually under 100, so there's just no power in the water. The water temp is 76°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't freeze while you're waiting for a wave.

From the 4th through the 9th, it's a total write-off. Tiny swell from the SSE and SE, with periods as short as 6 seconds. That's windswill, not groundswell, and it's getting chopped up by persistent cross-onshore winds. The waves are small, messy, and not worth the paddle. The one small bright spot is the wind going clean and cross-offshore on the 8th and 9th, but the swell is only 2ft to 2ft—barely a ripple.

Monday the 10th morning is your best bet. It's still small, with a 3ft swell from the S, but the wind is clean and cross-offshore out of the W. The period stretches to 7 seconds, still short, but the conditions are "surfable waves but very ordinary." That's the top rating here. The combined energy is only 62, so it's gutless, but if you're desperate for a log, you might snag a waist-high closeout.

After that, the 11th to the 13th mornings see the wind go clean again, but the swell drops to 2ft or 3ft, and by the 13th afternoon we get a rare glassy moment with light wind from the N. The problem is the swell is 2ft with a 6-second period—just not enough push.

The 14th and 15th see a little uptick. On Friday the 14th, we get moderate offshore winds from the NNW and NW, with a 1ft to 2ft SSE swell. The period is still short (6-7 seconds), but the clean conditions will make it look better than it is. The best of the little bumps is Saturday morning the 15th: glassy conditions with a 3ft SSE swell and an 8-second period. The combined energy hits 77, the highest in the whole run. It's still small, but on a point or reef, you'd be stoked. At 8th Street, a beach break, it'll just be crumbly, clean, and knee-high.

The final week from the 16th onward is a total fade. The swell drops to 1ft with periods that push up to 9 seconds, but with no size, those long periods don't mean a thing. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or messy, and the combined energy dives into the teens. The 18th morning offers a clean offshore from the NW, but again, it's 1ft. Not worth rushing.

The one standout, if you can even call it that, is Saturday the 15th morning. The glassy conditions and the clean 3ft SSE swell are the best combo on offer. It's beginner-friendly height, but the quality is very low. For the rest of the window, you're better off checking the forecasts again—this run is a dud.

Rusty.

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