Ocean City - 8th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about what we've got on the table for Ocean City – 8th Street.

Look, I'm gonna level with you. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a write-off for catching anything decent here. The swell is small, the period is short, and the wind just doesn't want to play ball for any real quality. We're looking at a stretch of days where the surf is just not worth the paddle.

For the entire forecast period, from Wednesday, August 5th, all the way through to Thursday, August 20th, the story is the same. We've got weak, close-to-shore windswell with wave energy barely cracking triple digits (with the highest being a combined energy of 75). The swell heights hover between a pathetic 1 ft and a meager 4 ft, and the period is a short, weak 5 to 9 seconds. That's just wind chop, not surf.

The water temperature is running about 76°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, but that’s about the only upside.

The winds are mostly cross, cross-on, or straight onshore for the bulk of this, which means it'll be choppy and messy. There are a few very brief windows on Sunday the 9th morning and Tuesday the 11th morning when the breeze swings offshore, but with the swell being so tiny – 2 ft to 2 ft – and weak, it’s barely a ripple. Wednesday the 12th morning is glassy, but again, that tiny 2 ft south swell just isn't enough to push in anything ridable.

For a beginner-friendly break like 8th Street, anything over 5 ft is a bit much, but we aren't even close to that. We're stuck in the "ankle-biters" zone. This spot is fairly exposed and can handle some SE swell, but what's coming is just too small from the south. Honestly, with the persistent onshore flow and low quality, this setup might look more appealing to a kite surfer than a traditional paddle surfer.

There is one tiny flash in the pan on Wednesday the 19th afternoon, where a 4 ft south swell bumps up the energy a little, but the wind is cross-onshore at 16 mph, so it will be a messy, choppy mess. Not worth the drive.

The bottom line: this is a long, dry gap with no good surf on offer. For this area, a blank run like this happens. It's not usually this poor for this long, so forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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