36th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on 36th Street for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be real with you – it’s a quiet spell.

We’re looking at a long stretch from July 29th right through to August 13th, and every single session is marked as poor surf conditions. That’s a big gap with nothing on offer.

Let’s go through it. Starting Wednesday, the 29th, we’ve got a tiny 0.3 ft swell out of the east with a 9-second interval, but the energy is just 2 – that’s flat. The wind is offshore from the northwest in the morning, so it’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride. Water temp is 75°, which is about average for this time of year.

Thursday and Friday stay tiny, never cracking 1 ft. There’s a moment on Friday, July 31st, where the wind goes glassy in the morning – dead calm – which is beautiful, but with that 1 ft swell and a short 5-second period, you’d be bobbing on a lake. The energy reading is just 8, so it’s as weak as it gets.

Into the first week of August, the swell tries to lift a little. On Sunday, August 2nd, we see 2 ft to 3 ft from the south, but it’s all short-period, choppy junk with cross-onshore winds. The energy ticks up to 35, but that’s still weak, and the wind is ruining it. Not worth the paddle.

The best of the bunch, and I say this with a heavy heart, comes around Wednesday, August 5th. We’ve got a 2 ft swell from the SSE, with a 6-second period. The wind in the morning is glassy – dead calm – so it would be clean, but that energy is only 33. It’s barely surfable. The afternoon gets worse with a 4 ft swell, but it’s choppy and cross-onshore.

The following days from August 6th to the 8th see a bit more size, hitting 4 ft, but the period stays short around 6 seconds, and the wind is a mess. The energy peaks at 95 on Saturday afternoon, but that’s still moderate, not enough to overcome the bump. If you’re a kite surfer, those afternoon south-westerlies might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a pass.

After that, the wave energy flatlines. From August 9th onward, we’re back to 0.3 ft or zero swell, with the only excitement being a long-period 12-second east swell on Tuesday, August 11th, but it’s only 0.3 ft with 3 energy – a ghost swell.

So the honest truth? There are no good surf options in this 16-day window. It’s a blank run. That little pulse on August 5th with the glassy morning is the only thing close to a stand-out, but it’s still poor. This is one of those periods where the ocean just takes a nap. Forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board at home and save the gas.

Rusty.

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