
Surf Forecasts:
Out Front surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, SSW swell with 165 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Out Front this week:
The surf forecast for Out Front over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Out Front in the next 16 days are 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Out Front over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks. I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast, and honestly, it’s a tough stretch for anyone who wants to actually paddle out and get a wave. We’re looking at a long, dry spell of surf for the most part. Don’t get me wrong, there’s water moving, but it’s not doing us any favors. We’ve got a big gap of nothing on offer until we get to that last weekend, and even then, it’s a marginal call.
The first week or so is pretty grim. From Wednesday the 5th through to the 11th, it’s just onshore slop and wind chop. The swell is tiny, under 3 feet, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or cross, which messes up any chance of a clean face. The energy is weak, with combined readings mostly in the double digits, like 23 or 49, which is just no good. You’re looking at waves that are soft and bumpy, and the period is short, around 4-6 seconds, so there’s no punch to them. It’s a write-off.
We do get a brief tease on the morning of Sunday the 9th. The wind goes light cross-offshore, and the swell bumps up slightly to 4ft from the south, with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 131. It’s clean, but it’s still small and weak. It’s the best of a bad bunch, but it’s not exactly firing. You’d be scratching for anything.
Then we go right back into the doldrums. The middle of the week is flat, with tiny waves and onshore winds again. The mornings are clean but with almost no swell—we’re talking 0.6ft to 1ft. It’s not worth getting wet for.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Thursday the 13th. The wind swings offshore from the WNW, and while the swell is still small at 1ft, it’s got a bit more period to it, 7 seconds. It’s clean, but you’d need a longboard and a lot of patience.
Now, let’s talk about the one standout in this whole period. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got. On the morning of Saturday the 15th of August, we finally see a pulse of groundswell. The swell height jumps to 4ft from the south, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is 218, which is the strongest we’ll see in this whole run. The wind is light from the NE, which is cross-shore, creating some cross-ripple, but it’s not a complete mess. This is our window. It’s not perfect, but it’s the most surfable and biggest swell of the fortnight. The water temp is 77°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
After that, we get a few more small pulses. The morning of Sunday the 16th has a clean 4ft from the south with a 6-second period, and the wind is offshore, so it’s clean. The energy is 136. But it’s still not big. The afternoon of Monday the 17th is clean, but tiny.
The real takeaway is this: we’re in for a long stretch of poor conditions. The only time it looks like it might be worth a paddle is that Saturday the 15th. It’s a single highlight in a sea of onshore mush. Keep your expectations low, and maybe rig up the kite if that’s your thing, because for a lot of these days with onshore wind and small, weak swell, that setup is going to be more fun than trying to surf it.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Thu night, light winds from the WSW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 31°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 4 | S 6 | S 5 | S 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | S 3 | SSE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
21 | 45 | 40 | 37 | 19 | 60 | 29 | 18 | 42 | 85 | 22 | 76 | 92 | 27 | 76 | 28 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 39 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:26PM1.21m | 1:51AM1.02m | 2:22PM1.23m | 2:54AM0.99m | 3:24PM1.25m | 4:04AM0.98m | 4:33PM1.28m | 5:16AM1.01m | 5:42PM1.33m | 6:23AM1.08m | 6:45PM1.38m | 7:22AM1.16m | 7:40PM1.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:13PM0.21m | 8:07AM0.11m | 9:30PM0.20m | 9:20AM0.13m | 10:42PM0.16m | 10:33AM0.12m | 11:46PM0.09m | 11:39AM0.07m | 00:44AM0.02m | 12:41PM0.02m | 1:39AM-0.05m | 1:39PM-0.03m | 2:31AM-0.11m | ||||||||
6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | |
mm | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 13 | — | — | 6 | — | — | 6 |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 31 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 25 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 27 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 27 | 32 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | — | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | E 9 | SE 8 | E 8 | S 6 | E 9 | E 8 | S 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SE 9 | SSE 6 |
21 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 42 | 2 | 21 | 1 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 39 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 8 | — | E 13 | E 9 | E 11 | E 11 | E 9 | SE 9 | SSE 6 | E 8 | — | E 9 | E 11 | — | E 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 8 |
— | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 20 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 12 | E 13 | — | E 11 | — | E 11 | — | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 12 | — |
2 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 4 | S 6 | S 5 | S 4 | SW 5 | SSE 8 | S 4 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | WSW 2 | — | — | — | S 3 | — |
— | 45 | 40 | 37 | 19 | 60 | 29 | 18 | 27 | 85 | 22 | 76 | 92 | 27 | 76 | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 1137 | 486 | 122 | 2378 | 284 | 124 | 289 | 3 | 101 | 85 | 3 | 3 | 83 | 131 | 41 | 281 | 508 | 95 | 95 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Out Front Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Out Front provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Out Front can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Out Front surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Out Front) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Out Front may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Out Front is 55 km (34 miles) from Ocean City. If you plan a vacation in Virginia, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ocean City. Ocean City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











