South Beach (Miami) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into your local surf outlook for Miami.

Right off the bat, I’ll be straight with you: this is a tough stretch for any kind of decent surf in the Miami area. We’re looking at a 16-day window with honestly not a single period that’s really worth paddling out for. The pattern is pretty much flat or near-flat, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, delivering nothing but chop or small, weak waves. There’s a gap of many days here with no real surf on offer – it’s one of those blank runs that are more normal for this area, especially in summer.

The first few days, from Friday the 7th of August right through the weekend and into the early part of the next week, show tiny swell heights. Friday afternoon has a combined swell energy of only 26 (weak), with a 1ft, 9-second swell from the northeast, but the wind is a cross-on from the southeast at 15 km/h, keeping it choppy and messy. Saturday morning shows a slightly bigger 3ft swell, but the period is a short, weak 4 seconds from the east-southeast, with 45 energy (still weak), and the wind is onshore. It’s just poor surf, day after day.

The water temperature here is 86°F, which is about normal for the time of year, so no complaints there – but you’ll be sitting in warm water with nothing to ride.

The only break to look at is South Beach (Miami), a beach and jetty setup that’s consistent but sheltered. It tends to be often crowded, but that’s a moot point when there’s no surf. The optimum swell direction would be from the north-northeast, but we’re not seeing any decent swell from that direction, or any direction, that lines up with good wind. The swell we do get is tiny, often under 2ft, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore. Even the mornings with a light breeze bring only 0.3ft to 0.7ft waves.

Looking further ahead, say the second week, there’s a slight uptick in period on the 19th and 20th of August, with some 12-13 second groundswell, but the swell height is still only 0.3ft to 0.7ft, and the energy is weak (single digits to low twenties). The wind stays cross-onshore. It’s a tease – a longer period with no height to show for it.

On the 21st of August, there’s a little blip of 2ft from the north-northeast with a 6-second period and 36 energy, but the wind is light cross-onshore in the morning, then picks up to a moderate breeze in the afternoon. Still not enough to get excited about.

The bottom line? There’s no standout here. Not a single day where the swell, wind, and quality come together. If you’re desperate to get wet, you’d be better off with a kiteboard on a windy day, because the paddle surfing just isn’t happening. Forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this poor for long, but for now, the board stays on the rack.

Rusty.

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