Ocean City - 8th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at the charts for our stretch of beach. Straight up, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this is a tough run for the next couple of weeks. The swell window is just not cooperating, and we’re looking at a whole lot of flat, small, and choppy conditions.

The first proper chance to even think about a paddle won’t come until the very end of the first week. For the first week, from Thursday the 16th through to about Wednesday the 22nd, we’re dealing with ankle-snappers. The energy is weak, with values mostly in the teens, twenties, and thirties (11 to 33). The wind is a mess, mostly cross-shore or onshore, and the few times it does go offshore, the swell is just too small to do anything with. It’s a long, dry spell.

The first slight glimmer shows up on Sunday the 19th in the afternoon at Ocean City - 8th Street. The wind finally swings offshore from the NW at 12 mph, and that’s a big deal for cleanliness. The swell is a tiny 2.6 ft from the SSE, with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy bumps up to 81. That’s still weak, but the offshore wind means the surface will be glassy. It’s rideable, but you’ll be scratching for every little bump. The water temp is 76.1°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

Things don’t get much better. The best bet I can find in this whole 16-day window is on Wednesday the 22nd in the morning. We’ve got a clean, cross-off breeze from the NNE at 3 mph, which is basically glassy. The swell is still small, 3.0 ft from the SSE with an 8-second period, but the energy jumps to 128 (moderate). That’s the highest energy we’ll see. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. The quality is still lacking.

After that, we slide back into a long stretch of poor conditions. The wind stays messy, and the swell never really gets going. The next moment of hope comes much later, on Thursday the 30th in the morning, with a clean cross-off breeze from the W at 9 mph, but the swell is a pathetic 1.3 ft (44). Not worth a paddle.

The very last day of the run, Friday the 31st of July, deserves a mention. In the morning, we get a light offshore from the NW at 6 mph with a 2.6 ft SSE swell (56). Then in the afternoon, the wind drops to zero—glassy conditions—and the swell is 3.0 ft from the SE with a 7-second period (79). It’s still very ordinary, but that glassy afternoon session is the best chance for a clean, if tiny, wave.

Honestly, for the whole 16 days, there’s no standout. The best on offer is that Wednesday the 22nd morning session for the cleanest little waves, or that glassy Friday the 31st afternoon. It’s a long wait for not much reward. The beach setup here is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer during this stretch.

Stay patient, lads. It’ll turn around.

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