120th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna level with you: the next 16 days at 120th Street are a tough watch for a surfer. It’s a beach and jetty setup, exposed to the east, and the wind and swell just aren’t lining up. We’re looking at a stretch of real small, weak surf, mostly under 3ft, with combined energy in the 30s and 40s, barely a ripple. The water’s sitting at 77°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a hood.

First up, Sunday the 13th is a no-go. You’ve got a risk of thunderstorms and a small 1ft SE swell with a pitiful 10-second period and combined energy of just 47. The morning wind is howling cross-offshore at 12 mph, but the wave size is laughable. The afternoon goes glassy with an ESE breeze at 3 mph, but still only 1ft. It’s poor.

Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are a write-off. Clean conditions on Monday morning with a NNW cross-offshore at 22 mph, but the swell is a messy 3ft from the north with a 4-second period and energy around 51. Tuesday brings a light NE breeze but it’s cross-onshore, and the swell is 3ft at 6 seconds. Just not happening.

Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th offer a glimmer but nothing you’d paddle out for. Thursday morning is the first time we see a “surfable” comment. It’s a 2ft E swell at 8 seconds, with a SSW cross-offshore breeze at 9 mph, and combined energy at 64. The breaks are clean, but it’s tiny and ordinary. Not worth the wetsuit.

From Friday the 18th through to Saturday the 20th, it’s back to poor surf with onshore winds. Sunday the 20th morning is another "ordinary" call – 2ft at 7 seconds, cross-offshore wind, but just too small.

Now, Monday the 21st rolls in with a spike. We get a 5ft NE swell, period of 7 seconds, and combined energy jumps to 301, which is moderate. But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 22 mph from the NNE, and the conditions are described as lumpy and poor. It’s a bigger, messier wave, not clean.

Tuesday the 22nd is a write-off with a strong breeze and onshore wind at 28-31 mph. The swell drops back to 4ft, and it’s just ugly.

Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th are clean again with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is small. Thursday afternoon shows a 4ft E swell at 10 seconds with combined energy at 255, but still, the comment is "poor surf conditions."

Here’s the standout, but it’s a frustrating one. Friday the 25th. We get a 5ft E swell, period of 8 seconds, and combined energy hits 670 – moderate to strong energy. However, the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 22 mph from the NE, making it lumpy. Saturday the 26th pushes even bigger: a 7ft E swell at 10 seconds, combined energy at 838, but again, the cross-onshore wind is strong at 25 mph, and it’s messy. This is expert-only territory if you want to try, but the chop will be horrible.

Sunday the 27th sees the biggest swell of the window: 8ft E at 10 seconds, with combined energy at a massive 1720 – strong to very strong wave energy. But once more, the wind is a strong cross-onshore from the NE at 25-28 mph, and it’s described as messy. For a beach break, this setup with that wind is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Monday the 28th fades out with a 4ft E swell at 9 seconds, cross-shore wind, and combined energy around 210. Still poor.

Honestly, there isn’t a single day here that I’d call a good surf. The best of a bad bunch might be Thursday the 24th afternoon or Friday the 25th morning if you are desperate, but the wind kills it every time. The 26th and 27th have the size but it’s a washing machine. No standouts. Keep the board in the car.

Rusty.

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