36th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for 36th Street. I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are gonna test your patience. This stretch of beach and jetty is in for a long, flat spell. There’s a gap of about a week right off the bat where you won't find anything worth paddling out for, with the first proper action not showing up until the following Monday.

The outlook starts off as flat as a millpond. Monday the 10th through to Sunday the 16th is pretty much a write-off. We’re looking at tiny waves, mostly under 2 ft, with a mix of onshore and light winds. There’s one moment on Sunday the 16th morning where it goes glassy, but with the swell at only 0.3 ft, it’s not enough to surf. The water is running at about 78°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, if you fancy a swim.

Now, things get a little more interesting starting Monday the 17th of August. Monday morning brings a pulse of 4 ft swell from the south, with a combined energy of 96 (moderate wave energy). It’s crossed up though, with a moderate cross-shore wind and a chop, so the quality is still pretty ordinary. That afternoon, the wind swings offshore from the WNW, and while the swell drops right back to 0.3 ft, the period jumps to a very long 19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, but there’s just no size to work with.

The standout moment, if you can call it that, looks to be Wednesday the 19th of August. We see the combined energy jump to 213 (moderate wave energy) on the morning, with a 2 ft swell from the SE at 11 seconds. It’s cross-shore though, which keeps it from being perfect. The afternoon shows even more push, with 3 ft swell from the SE and the energy hitting 307 (moderate wave energy). Again, it’s onshore wind, so the face will be bumpy. The jetty might offer a bit of a shoulder, but for a beach break, this is not the cleanest setup.

Then there’s a bit of size on Monday the 24th of August. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the ESE, with a period of only 7 seconds. That’s short-period windswell, and with the cross-onshore wind at 15 mph, it’s gonna be a choppy, lumpy mess. The combined energy is 232 (moderate wave energy), so there’s some push, but for anyone who isn’t an expert, the 5 ft height with that wind will be a handful. It’s more of a kite-surfing kind of day.

Honestly, there’s no real standout here. The best you’ll get is a few small, clean windows, like Friday the 14th morning with offshore wind but only 0.3 ft of swell. For a fairly consistent spot like this, it’s a tough run. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s looking like a long blank spell.

Rusty.

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