Sebastian Inlet-First Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get this straight – this is a tough one to write, because the surf outlook for the next 16 days around Sebastian Inlet-First Peak is looking flat-out grim for most of it. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, folks. We've got a long stretch of almost nothing worthwhile on the cards.

Looking at the overall pattern, we start with a bit of hope on Sunday afternoon (August 2nd) . That's the first real surf recommendation. The swell is tiny at 2 ft coming out of the ESE with a short period of 8 seconds. The wave energy is weak – only measuring 57 in the combined energy. But, the wind is glassy as can be from the NE at just 3 mph. That means the surface will be like a mirror, so you could get a few fun little peelers. The water is sitting at 81°F, which is about 3°F colder than usual for this time of year – notable, but not crazy.

Monday morning (August 3rd) , the wind switches to a light 6 mph SW offshore, which is absolutely perfect for clean conditions. The problem? The swell drops to a pathetic 1 ft from the E. That's just not enough to do anything on. The energy is down to 21. Honestly, you're better off waiting.

From there, we go into a real dry spell. Most of the mornings from Monday through to the end of the first week are clean with light offshore or variable winds, but the swell consistently stays below 2 ft. The afternoons get messy with onshore winds and storm risks. The swell bumps up a little around Friday (August 7th) hitting 4 ft to 5 ft from the E, but the wind is a stiff cross-onshore at 12-16 mph making for a choppy, ugly mess. The combined energy climbs to 141 then 177 – moderate wave energy, but the quality is just not there.

Saturday morning (August 8th) is the one bright spot worth highlighting. We see swell at 4 ft from the E, 8 second period, and the combined energy is a moderate 203. The wind is cross-shore from the SE at 9 mph – not perfect, but not terrible. It's a beach/jetty setup, and with this wind, it could offer up some fun, workable ramps, especially for intermediates. But listen, the rest of that day and the following week is a wash-out. The swell fades fast back to 2 ft or less, with persistent cross and onshore winds.

The second week, from August 10th onward, is a near-total bust. Swell is consistently below 2 ft – often 1.0 ft to 2 ft – and the wind is messy. The energy readings are all under 100 (most 11-44), weak. Short-period wind slop at best. There is no standout to highlight in that second week; it's all poor surf conditions.

So, what’s the call? The one and only stand-out session is Sunday afternoon (August 2nd) for the glassy, clean conditions on a tiny wave – a longboard or a funboard will be your friend. And then Saturday morning (August 8th) offers the most size, but it's a bit punchy and not silky clean. For the rest, we are looking at over a week of nothing to get excited about. If you see a bit of a bump with those cross-shore winds and a beach setup, it might look more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Keep the faith. It's a slow summer pattern.

- Rusty

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