13th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The way this is shaping up, we’re looking at a pretty flat spell for a good while. There’s nothing that’s going to have you sprinting for your board for the next week and a half, to be honest. The swell is small, the winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf is just going to be struggling to put anything decent together. It’s a real patience test.

We’ll start things off on Sunday, September 13th at 13th Street. We’ve got some tiny, weak swell pushing in from the west-northwest, only around 2ft, with a pretty short period of 9 seconds. The wind is light offshore from the WSW, so the surface might have a bit of shine to it, but there’s just no power behind it. The combined energy is weak at 124. It’s a tough go for the advanced crew, and even then, it’s mostly closeouts and frustration. The water is a warm 71°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick suit, just a lot of patience.

The days that follow are pretty much more of the same. Small, weak swells, mostly from the southwest, but the winds turn cross-shore or cross-onshore, chopping up what little surface there is. You’ve got periods of 1ft to 3ft surf, and while the energy numbers tick up a bit into the low-to-mid hundreds, it’s all just a mess. The period stretches out to 16-18 seconds at times, which is a long-period groundswell, but with that little size, it’s just not doing anything for us here at a beach break.

This stretch continues right through the week. On Friday, September 18th, we see the energy climb a little higher, getting up to 315 and 309 in the morning and afternoon, but the surf stays at a puny 2ft. The period is a solid 19 seconds, but it’s still just not enough. We get a couple of "marginal" calls for the morning, but it’s still mostly poor.

The whole weekend follows the same pattern. Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th are full of tiny, weak surf, with the period dropping back to around 18 seconds. The energy builds a bit, even hitting 439 on Sunday afternoon, but the wave height remains stuck at 2ft. That’s the story – a lot of ocean energy, but it’s just not translating into rideable waves.

Heading into the second week, things don’t really improve. Monday, September 21st through Sunday, September 27th is more of the same. We're seeing those 2ft to 3ft swells, all from the southwest, but the winds are mostly onshore, making things messy. The periods stay in that 13 to 16 second range, but the size is just too small. There are a few moments where the energy is moderate, like 397 and 398 on Monday, but the surf itself is a letdown.

The last few days, Monday, September 28th and Tuesday, September 29th, are still poor. The swell remains tiny, around 2ft to 2ft, with a long period of 20 seconds. There’s no real push, and the winds are just not helping.

So, the bottom line is this: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. It’s a flat, weak run at 13th Street, with nothing that stands out. The waves are too small and the winds are working against us. That said, the spot is generally fairly consistent, so this run of poor surf is a bit of an anomaly. Forecasts can change, and this kind of blank run doesn’t usually last forever. But as it stands right now, you’re better off finding something else to do.

Rusty out.

Read more