Satellite Beach/RCs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

To be straight with you, the outlook for Satellite Beach is a real quiet one. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but there’s a long stretch of flatness to sit through before we see anything worth paddling out for. The swell energy is very weak to start, with combined energy values mostly in the teens and twenties, and the wave heights barely tickling the 1 ft to 2 ft range. You’ll be waiting until the morning of Friday the 28th of August for the first real chance, and even then it’s nothing to get the heart racing.

From Thursday the 20th through to Thursday the 27th, it’s essentially a bust. The surf is poor and the wind is often cross-onshore, leaving the surface choppy and messy. There are a few mornings with light offshore or glassy conditions, but with hardly any swell to work with, it’s just not worth the drive. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Friday, August 28th morning – Finally, a glimmer. We see a small ESE swell at 1 ft with a period of 8 seconds, and a combined energy of 70 (moderate). The wind is light cross-offshore from the SW, so the surface is clean. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is a fair description. It’s not going to be a classic, but if you’re desperate for a splash, you could get a few small, weak waves at Satellite Beach/RCs. This is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the NE swell, but the swell angle is ESE, so it’s not ideal. The crowd is “sometimes” an issue, but with surf this small, it won’t be. It’s advanced level, so the takeoff is tricky.

Monday, August 31st morning – Another morning to check. An ESE swell at 3 ft, period 7 seconds, with combined energy jumping to 135 (strong). The wind is light cross-offshore from the SW, keeping it clean. The wave comment is the same: “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” The period is short, so expect lumpy, weaker waves that won’t hold a good line. Not a standout, but a slight bump in size.

Tuesday, September 1st morning – Glassy conditions with a NNW wind at 3 mph, and an ESE swell at 2 ft, period 10 seconds, combined energy of 129 (strong). The surf is still “surfable but very ordinary.” The glassy wind is a major positive—it will be clean—but the swell is still small and weak in shape.

The Best on Offer – If I have to pick one, it’s the morning of Wednesday, September 2nd. We have a glassy morning with a NW wind, and an ESE swell at 1 ft, but the period stretches to 12 seconds, giving it a combined energy of 133 (strong). For a spot that’s been starved, this has the best potential for a clean, long-period groundswell that could offer a few nice lines at the reef. The swell direction is ESE, which is off the optimum NE swell direction for this break, so it’s not perfect, but the glassy wind and longer period make it the most promising window. It’s still small, so don’t expect barrels.

The rest of the forecast is a washout. The second week shows a few more mornings with light offshore or glassy winds, but the swell remains tiny and inconsistent, with more cross-on or onshore winds in the afternoons. The combined energy drops back down into the 60s and 80s, and the wave comments stay “poor” or “surfable but very ordinary.” There’s no real stand-out day in the second week.

Look, this is a tough stretch for Satellite Beach. The setup is not ideal for this swell direction, and the energy is just too low. It’s the kind of run where you’re better off waiting for the forecasts to change. They often do.

Rusty.

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