13th Ave South Surfside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the outlook for 13th Ave South Surfside is a real bummer. We’ve got a solid 16 days of forecast here, and honestly, the surf just isn’t showing up. The first chunk of days is a write-off.

The first day we might even entertain is Thursday, July 16th, but it’s a false start. We’re looking at a tiny 0.7 ft swell from the ESE with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is next to nothing (9). It’s glassy in the morning, but the afternoon gets ruined by a strong 12 mph cross-on wind. Not worth a paddle.

The pattern stays the same through the rest of July. We get more of the same: small, weak swell. On Saturday, July 18th, we see a brief bump of 2 ft from the south in the afternoon, but the period is a pathetic 4 seconds and the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-on. That’s just a messy, lumpy sea state. The combined energy tops out at only 17.

We do get a bit of lift around Sunday, July 19th. The swell height pushes to 4 ft from the south, with a period of 7 seconds. The energy jumps into the moderate zone (235) in the morning. But the wind is a moderate to fresh cross or cross-on, ruining any chance of a clean wave. With that size and poor conditions, it’s a messy, choppy day.

After that, it’s back to the same story. Most days show swell heights under 3 ft and periods under 8 seconds, with energy readings mostly in the weak double digits. The wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surf poor.

There’s a glimmer on Monday, July 27th. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore wind from the WSW, but the swell is only 2 ft at 7 seconds. The afternoon gets a bit more interesting: a fresh 19 mph offshore wind from the WNW, but the swell is still small at 2 ft. So, you’d get a clean, blown-out surface, but with next to no wave energy (44). It’s not exactly a standout.

The same goes for Friday, July 31st. Both the morning and afternoon have clean conditions with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell is a tiny 1 ft from the SE. It’s glassy, but there’s barely a ripple.

The biggest issue is that this break is described as "inconsistent," and it’s living up to that. The water temp is a warm 84°F, which is about average for this time of year, so that’s not the problem.

Honestly, there’s not a single standout session in the whole 16 days. The only reason to even check the water is for a float or a tan. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the cleanest conditions will be on Monday, July 27th morning or Friday, July 31st, but don’t expect to catch much. It’s a long, blank run.

Rusty.

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