120th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it's a tough stretch. We're looking at a long, drawn-out run of small, weak swell with very little to get excited about. The first real break in the action is from Monday, July 27th, but even then, it's a struggle. The waves are tiny, around 1 feet from the ESE with a short, weak period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a measly 35, so there's just no power in the water. The wind is a cross-offshore, which is fine, but it can't do much with that little swell. The water temp is sitting at 75°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no complaints there.

That same tiny, grovelly 1-foot ESE swell hangs around through Tuesday, July 28th. The wind builds on Tuesday afternoon, swinging to the south at 22 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. The energy bumps up to 102, but that's more from the wind messing things up than any real swell. Not worth paddling out for.

We get a little window Wednesday, July 29th. The swell nudges up to 2 feet from the SE, and the wind goes light and variable from the NW. It's clean, but the waves are still pretty ordinary. The energy is only 61. It's a "maybe" if you're desperate, but don't expect much.

After that, it's back to the doldrums. From Thursday, July 30th, all the way through to Tuesday, August 11th, the swell is stuck below 3 feet. There are some glassy moments, like the Friday afternoon, July 31st, with an ESE breeze at 3 mph and a glassy surface, but the swell is just 2 feet. It's barely breaking. The consistent energy is almost always in the teens or low twenties, which is about as weak as it gets.

The one slightly promising day is Monday, August 3rd. The swell picks up to 3 feet from the SE, and with a glassy, NNW wind of 3 mph, it's the cleanest conditions of the whole period. The energy jumps to 88, which is the highest we'll see. If you're a longboarder or on a foamie, you might get a couple of fun little nuggets. But it's not a standout by any stretch; it's just the best of a bad lot.

The rest of the second week is a write-off. Tiny swell, poor conditions, and onshore winds. There's a glassy afternoon on August 8th, but again, the swell is only 1 feet. Even when the wind goes offshore on August 9th, the swell is 2 feet with a period of only 4 seconds. That's just wind slop, not a groundswell.

For a beach/jetty setup like 120th Street, with this kind of weak, short-period swell, don't expect any real shape. The period is never above 9 seconds, so there's no push or power. It's a full-on grovel.

If I'm being straight with you, there's no standout session here. The best bet is Wednesday, July 29th, or Monday, August 3rd, for a quick, clean, small-wave session. But if you're a beginner, the swell never gets over 5 feet, so you're not out of your depth. It's just... small. For the experts? There's nothing here for you.

This is a pretty typical blank run for this area. It tends not to stay this poor for long, but the forecasts are what they are right now. Keep an eye on it, but I wouldn't be clearing my calendar.

Rusty.

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