13th Ave South Surfside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for 13th Ave South Surfside. It’s a tough stretch ahead, folks. We’re looking at a long, dry run with no real surf to speak of for the first twelve days. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a dud, but the first dozen days are especially flat and messy. Even when a little bump shows up, the conditions spoil it. There’s only one tiny glimmer right at the end, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

This break is inconsistent and exposed to the southeast, and the water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing wild there.

Alright, let’s work through it. Wednesday the 9th kicks off with weak, short-period ESE swell at 3 ft, period a paltry 6 seconds, and combined energy at a feeble 45. Wind is cross-on from the east at 12 mph, making it choppy and poor. That’s a no-go.

Thursday the 10th is even worse – swell drops to 2 ft in the morning, period still 6 seconds, energy down to 33. A risk of thunderstorms and cross-on south winds keep it messy. The afternoon sees a tiny bump back to 3 ft, 7-second period, and energy of 52, but it’s still poor with gentle cross-onshore wind.

Friday the 11th morning offers a bit of clean surf with light cross-offshore wind from the southwest, but the swell is only 1.0 ft, period 7 seconds, energy 18. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride. The afternoon turns choppy again.

Saturday the 12th morning goes glassy – wind calm, 1 ft swell, 7-second period, energy 15. But it’s still just poor surf conditions. The glassy surface is a tease because there’s no power.

Sunday the 13th morning is glassy again, with a slightly longer period of 10 seconds on that 1 ft SE swell, energy 26. Still, no wave to speak of. The afternoon turns choppy.

From Monday the 14th through to Tuesday the 23rd, it’s a relentless run of tiny swell – 1 ft down to 0.3 ft – with periods mostly under 10 seconds and energy hovering in the teens to low twenties. Winds are often cross-on or onshore, chopping up any hope of a ride. The morning of the 17th (Thursday) has a glassy start with a 13-second period on a 0.3 ft swell, but energy is only 16. That long period is a tease – it’d be a dream on a point break, but here at a beach break, it just breaks straight.

The only sniff of something surfable arrives on the morning of Tuesday the 22nd. Swell picks up to 3 ft from the east, period 8 seconds, and combined energy jumps to 82. The wind is light, cross-off from the north, and the conditions are clean. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – I’d call it the best of a bad bunch. It’s still small and weak, and the afternoon gets ruined by a fresh cross-shore. Then on the 24th, Thursday morning, there’s a bigger pulse of 4 ft from the ENE with a 9-second period and energy of 294, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore from the northeast, making it lumpy and poor. For a beginner break, that 4 ft might be pushing it, but the wind is the real killer.

So, what’s the standout? Honestly, there’s only one moment worth paddling out for, and that’s the morning of Tuesday the 22nd. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only window with clean conditions and a trace of energy. The rest is a write-off. If you’re a kite surfer, the afternoon of the 24th might look more interesting with that 4 ft swell and strong wind, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no.

Stay patient, check the charts, but don’t hold your breath. This is one of those stretches where the forecast can change, but right now, it’s a flat spell.

Rusty

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