120th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up.

To be straight with you, the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off at 120th Street. We’re looking at tiny, weak swells, mostly under 2 ft, with a lot of cross-shore or onshore winds messing up the surface. The energy is really low, with combined swell energy values barely scratching double digits (10 to 26). It’s the kind of stretch where you’d be better off doing something else. The water temp is sitting at 78°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least the water’s nice.

There’s a long gap of pretty much nothing until we hit Monday, August 17th. That morning, things finally get interesting. We’ve got a clean, offshore wind from the WNW at 9 mph, and a solid 5 ft SSW swell pushing in. The combined energy jumps to 257 (moderate), which is a big step up. The wind is offshore, so the waves should be clean and well-shaped. This is a proper window for the intermediate surfer, though it’s not overly big. The swell direction from the SSW is a good match for the spot’s optimum SE direction, so expect some decent lines. The wind stays cross-off that afternoon, but the swell drops back to 2 ft, and the energy backs off to 44 – so the morning is the clear standout.

After that, it’s back to small stuff and poor conditions for the rest of the 16-day run. A few days see periods over 11 seconds, like the 18th and 19th, but the swell heights are tiny (0.7 ft to 2 ft) and the wind is messy. The 21st of August morning has glassy conditions with a 1 ft SE swell, but honestly, it’s just not enough to get excited about. The 23rd of August morning offers a 3 ft S swell with clean cross-off wind, but the energy is still low (78) and the surf is described as ordinary.

So, the only real standout is Monday morning, August 17th. That’s the one to circle. The rest? You’re waiting.

Rusty.

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