Ocean City - 8th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's cut to it. Looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks, it’s a pretty flat and quiet stretch for Ocean City - 8th Street. We’ve got a long lull on our hands, so don’t be in a hurry to wax up just yet.

The first couple of days are a total washout. Tuesday and Wednesday are seeing tiny, short-period wind slop with no energy behind it. The combined energy is weak, barely scratching double digits (10-62), and it’s just not gonna be worth your time. You’re looking at ankle-biters and a lot of paddling for nothing.

We do see a slight bump late Thursday as a small SSW pulse tries to push in. The swell height gets up to around 5ft, and the energy climbs into the moderate range (107-194). The winds are cross-offshore and clean, so it could be rideable, but the period is a weak 6 seconds. It’s short-period stuff, so it’ll be a bit crumbly and soft. It’s not a standout, but it might be the most interesting surf of this whole dull spell. Water temp is about average for the time of year, so a springsuit will do.

After that little pulse, we’re back to the doldrums. From Friday the 11th right through the 15th, it’s small, weak, and mostly onshore or cross-onshore. You’re looking at knee-high dribble with combined energies mostly in the double digits (12-76). This is a stretch of several days where you can leave the board in the car.

There is a tiny glimmer on Wednesday the 16th. We finally get a proper offshore wind from the NW, and the swell bumps up to a clean 3ft. The energy is still weak (65-81), but the conditions will be clean. It’s the first day I’d call surfable, but it’s still pretty ordinary. The period is a short 5-6 seconds, so it won't have much push.

The rest of the forecast is more of the same. Small swells, weak energy, and winds that are either cross-shore or onshore. There’s a little clean window on the morning of Saturday the 19th with a light offshore, but the swell is only 2ft with energy in the 40s. It’s not going to be firing.

To be honest, there are no real standouts in this entire 16-day window. The only time we get a whiff of a proper wave is that Thursday the 10th and maybe Wednesday the 16th, but both are far from epic. If you’re a beginner, the bigger pulse on Thursday might be okay, but for anyone else, it’s a lot of work for not much reward. For the most part, the setup here with the small, weak surf and prevailing winds looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle board. It’s a blank run, plain and simple, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye out, but for now, don’t get your hopes up.

Rusty.

Read more