15th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the first half of the outlook is a bit of a grind. We're looking at small, weak swell for the first few days with a lot of cross and cross-onshore winds messing things up. The water is a toasty 73°F, which is a whopping 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – seriously unusual, you won't need a spring suit. But the waves? Forget about it until the second week.

The first real sign of life shows up on Saturday, July 18th. The swell bumps up a bit, but the energy jumps from weak to moderate (511) by the afternoon. Still, the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so it's not going to be clean. Keep it in the back of your mind.

Now, the standout window kicks off on Sunday, July 19th. We get a jump in size with sets around 6ft from the SSW, and the wind finally goes truly offshore from the WSW. The energy is cranking up (1202) – that's a solid moderate push. By the afternoon, it's a 5ft swell from the S with more energy (1272). This is where it gets interesting. 15th Street is a consistent beach and reef break that's exposed to the WSW swell, and with offshore winds, it's going to be clean. The swell direction is from the SSW and S, which is a solid angle for this spot. The only bummer is the crowds are often, so get there early.

But the real heavy hitter is coming in the far end of the forecast. On Friday, July 24th, we're looking at a solid 7ft swell from the S, with the energy absolutely booming (2842) – that's strong wave energy. The period is a proper 15 seconds, so this is a long-period groundswell. Winds are light and offshore, so it's going to be pumping. Now, this is over 8ft, so this is strictly for the experienced crew. This spot is a reef break, so that long-period swell will wrap in nicely. The best bet is the morning session with light cross-onshore winds, but the afternoon looks glassy clean with offshore conditions.

After that, things settle down a bit. Saturday, July 25th still has size around 7ft with offshore winds, but the energy drops a touch (1917). It's still a great wave for the experts, but not as clean as Friday. By Sunday, July 26th, the size drops off, but the long-period groundswell from the SSW (19 seconds) will have some punch. If you want a clean, smaller day, the morning of Sunday, July 26th with the offshore wind could be a pick for the intermediates.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The best surf on offer is the solid Friday, July 24th for the big-wave hunters, and the offshore windows on Sunday, July 19th and Sunday, July 26th for the cleaner, more manageable waves. Keep an eye on the long-range stuff, it's a bit further out so it's less certain, but it looks promising.

Rusty.

Read more