21st Street (Miami) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let me put this in feet and miles for you. It’s a tough stretch for the Miami area. We’ve got a long, quiet gap before anything even starts to stir, so don’t get too excited for the first week or so.

We’re starting with 21st Street (Miami). The first day that shows any real pulse isn’t until Friday, the 28th of August. Up until then, it’s mostly flat or junk. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface choppy, and the swell is tiny. You’ll be looking at ankle-to-knee-high waves with no push, often just 0.3ft to 0.7ft. The water temp is sitting at 87°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year, maybe a touch warmer than the long-term average but nothing wild.

From the 14th through the 27th of August, you’re looking at a real dry spell. Most days have “poor surf conditions” and scores of zero. The only small glimmer in that early run is the morning of the 19th, where the wind goes glassy, but the swell is still only 0.7ft, so it’s flat. Don’t bother.

Finally, around Friday the 28th of August, we get a little pulse. The morning shows a 2ft swell from the east (11-second period) with a light offshore wind from the west-southwest. The combined energy is only 90 (weak), so it’s not going to be powerful, but it will be clean. That’s the best on offer in the whole forecast. The afternoon of the 28th sees a bigger jump in energy to 245 (moderate) with a 3ft east swell and a 12-second period, but the wind swings cross-shore and gets gusty, so it’ll be messy. The morning of the 29th is also clean with a 2ft east swell, cross-offshore wind, and energy of 171 (moderate), but again, it’s not huge.

So, my honest take: the standout is the morning of Friday the 28th of August. It’s not pumping, but it’s the only window where the wind is right and the swell is big enough to paddle. The 21st Street crowd factor is listed as “often,” so expect a few heads out if the conditions actually line up. If you’re a beginner, this swell is under 5ft, so it’s fine, but the short period (under 8 seconds) in the early days means those tiny waves won’t hold any shape. The 11 to 12-second period on the 28th and 29th is better, giving a bit more push.

Basically, save your energy for the tail end of the month. The first two weeks are a write-off.

Rusty.

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