Ocean City - 8th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s break down what’s happening at Ocean City - 8th Street.

Right off the bat, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty darn flat and messy. The water’s sitting at 76°F, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, but that’s about the only bright spot. The combined swell energy is weak, mostly under 100 (93) early on, with only a few brief bumps into moderate range (184) later, but those come with poor conditions. We’re talking a long stretch of small, wind-chopped waves, and the forecast doesn’t give us much to work with.

Thursday morning, July 23, is the best of a very average lot. You’ve got a small 3ft SSE swell rolling in with an 8-second period, and a light N breeze making it cross-offshore and clean. The combined energy is only 93, so it’s weak, but at least the surface will be smooth. It’s a beginner-friendly spot and fairly consistent, so if you’re learning or just want to get wet, it’s surfable, but very ordinary. Expect crowds possible here. After that, Thursday afternoon turns onshore with poor conditions, and from Friday through the weekend and into next week, it’s a mess of onshore and cross-onshore winds, tiny waves, and choppy surfaces. The swell never really gets above 3ft, and the period stays short, mostly between 4 and 8 seconds, so no real power or shape.

There’s a small window on Wednesday morning, July 29, with a 3ft SSE swell, a 16 mph N cross-offshore breeze, and combined energy of 131 – moderate, but still small. The surface will be clean, but the wave quality is still poor overall. Thursday afternoon, July 30, sees a brief glassy moment with 2ft and a 3 mph E wind, but again, it’s tiny and ordinary.

From late July into early August, the trend continues. The swell nudges up to 4ft on August 2 with a southerly pulse, but it’s onshore, and the combined energy reaches 139 – moderate, but the conditions are no good. August 3 sees a 3ft SSE swell with a 9-second period and combined energy of 184, the highest in the window, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. Nothing here is worth paddling out for.

Honestly, the standout – if you can call it that – is Thursday morning, July 23, purely for the clean surface and small waves. The rest of the 16 days are a write-off. The setup is better suited for a kite than a surfboard if the wind picks up, but for us paddle surfers, it’s a long, flat, and choppy stretch. Stay patient – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Read more