38th St Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about 38th St Beach. This is a sandbar setup, exposed to the swell, and prefers it from the southeast for optimum. But you know what? Over the next 16 days, it’s basically a ghost town for surf. There are no good surf options on the table – not a single standout worth paddling out for.

Right now, we’re looking at tiny dribble. Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th offer knee-high 0.7ft to 1ft swell from the ESE and SE, with a weak period around 9 seconds. The water’s been sitting at 75°, which is a solid 5° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s much warmer than usual and pretty noticeable when you dip in. But the wave energy is just sad – we’re talking combined energy values between 14 and 32, barely a ripple.

Sunday the 5th stays flat with 1.0ft and a period dropping to 8 seconds, and the wind swings cross-on from the east. Monday the 6th is a write-off with onshore ESE winds around 9-12 mph and the threat of storms. Tuesday the 7th sees a slight bump to 2ft but the period crashes to 6 seconds, making it choppy and weak.

We get a brief pulse on Wednesday the 8th morning – 2ft from the SSE with an 8-second period, light cross-off breeze from the NNE, and the combined energy hits 104 – that’s moderate energy for once. The file says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s as close to a highlight as it gets, but it’s still tiny, and the crowds are listed as “often” at this break, so you won’t be alone.

From there, it’s a long dry gap. Thursday the 9th through Wednesday the 15th is a flat spell, with heights mostly 1.0ft to 2ft, periods 5 to 9 seconds, and wind always cross-on or onshore. Even Thursday the 16th morning offers only 3ft from the SSE – combined energy 67, weak – with a clean cross-off breeze from the WSW, but no power behind it.

There’s a slight uptick on Wednesday the 15th morning with 4ft from the SSE at a 7-second period and a combined energy of 177 – moderate energy, clean winds from the west – but the period is short, so it’ll be lumpy and unshaped. By Saturday the 18th, we get another 4ft pulse from the south, but the period drops to 5-6 seconds and the wind screams onshore at 16-19 mph, making it a choppy mess – more kite-surfing territory than paddle-surfing.

Honestly, for this area, that kind of blank run is normal. It’s a consistent spot, but nothing’s firing. Don’t hold your breath – flatter forecasts can shift, but right now, leave the boards at home.

Rusty

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