15th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this stretch of coast is going through a real flat spell. For the next 16 days, 15th Street (beach and reef) is about the only game in town, but even then, it’s a struggle. The water is sitting at 77°, which is a whopping 9° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, feels like bathwater out there.

The first few days are a write-off. Wednesday and Thursday, August 5th and 6th, we’ve got tiny 2 ft SW swell with weak energy readings (168-227), and the wind is mostly light offshore or cross-onshore, but the waves just aren’t there. Friday morning, August 7th, shows a tiny uptick: 2 ft SSW swell with a very long period of 19 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 500 (moderate energy). The wind is light offshore, which is a major positive. But the size is so small, it’s really just a marginal session for the patient.

The weekend, August 8th and 9th, sees the swell nudging up to 3-3 ft from the SSW, period dropping to 15-17 seconds. Energy is moderate (359-537). Saturday sees light offshore wind, but Sunday brings a cross-onshore breeze that’ll mess up the surface. It’s still poor, honestly.

We hit a bit of a lull again Monday through Thursday, August 10th-13th, with swell dropping back to 2-2 ft, period all over the place (13-20 seconds). Energy is moderate but the waves are just too small and weak for any real fun. Cross-onshore winds most days keep it choppy.

The next real standout window is August 14th and 15th. Friday, August 14th, we start seeing 3-3 ft SSW swell, with a very long period of 18 seconds, and energy jumping to 703-849 (strong wave energy). Light offshore wind in the morning. Saturday, August 15th, pushes that up to 3-4 ft SSW swell, period 16 seconds, energy 734-770 (strong). Offshore wind all day. This is the best we’ll see in the whole outlook. The SSW swell direction is a good match for the break’s optimum WSW exposure, and with that long period, the waves will have some punch. The size is still manageable for most surfers, though it’s getting a bit bigger for absolute beginners. It’s consistent, and crowds are often here, so expect a few locals out. This is the best bet.

Sunday, August 16th, drops back down to 3 ft and energy fading to 404-508. After that, the rest of the outlook from August 17th to 20th is a repeat of small, poor conditions with cross-onshore winds and moderate energy, barely worth paddling out for.

So, to wrap it up: there’s a long dry spell until the second week. The standout is definitely August 14th and 15th, especially Friday morning and Saturday. The swell is still small, but the direction, long period, and clean offshore wind make it the only real chance for a decent wave. The rest? Honestly, it’s a kite surfing kind of setup with the small swell and cross-shore winds.

Rusty.

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