15th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We're lookin' at a bit of a slow burn for the local sandbars.

So here's the long story short: we've got waves, but they ain't gonna have your heart pounding for a while. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a run of weak to moderate energy surf. Don't expect any hero sessions for the next week or so. The first real chance at something decent doesn't show up until the end of the first week, and even then, it's more about small windows of clean conditions than pumping swell.

Let's break it down. 15th Street is the only spot on the menu. It's a beach and reef setup, consistent, but it's usually pretty crowded. We're starting off with a whimper. Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are a write-off – tiny swell, poor conditions, and barely any energy (354 and 408 on the energy scale). Not worth paddling out.

Wednesday the 26th sees a little bump in size to 5 ft from the S, with period dropping to 12 seconds. The energy creeps up to 915, which is moderate, but the wind is cross-on and choppy, especially in the afternoon. It's more of a "maybe if you're desperate" kind of day.

Thursday the 27th drops back down to 4-4 ft S swell with a short, weak 10-second period and poor surf conditions. A real bummer.

Now, here's where we get a little glimmer. From Friday the 28th through the weekend, the wind switches offshore out of the W and WNW, which is a major positive. On Friday the 28th, we've got 3 ft of SSW groundswell at a long 16-19 seconds. The energy is moderate (537-608). It's small, but that offshore wind will make it glassy and clean. Saturday the 29th sees similar conditions: 3-4 ft from the SSW, offshore wind, and energy building into the 700-800 range. This is probably the best bet of the first week. Get out there early for a smooth, lined-up wave. It might be a bit slow between sets with that long period, but the quality will be there.

After that, it's back to a bit of a lull with cross-offshore winds and declining swell from the 30th through the 31st. Not really worth getting excited about.

Heading into September, the first week of the new month keeps the pattern alive. Tuesday the 1st through Thursday the 3rd offers some 4-4 ft S swell with light offshore winds. The energy is solidly in the 600-660 range. It's not a standout, but for those willing to work for it, the conditions should be fun, especially on the mornings when the wind is lighter.

The real standout for the whole outlook, if you can wait, is Friday the 6th of September. By then the swell is a consistent 4-4 ft from the SSW, period around 16 seconds, with light offshore winds out of the WNW in the morning. The energy is strong, hitting 889. That's the most powerful, cleanest window in the whole 16 days. Mark it on your calendar.

Then it all fades again. The last real chance is Tuesday the 8th of September. We get a spike in size to 8 ft from the SSW, but the period drops way down to just 8 seconds. That's short-period windswell right there. At that size, it's only for the experts, and that short period will make it a mess – bumpy, shifting, and hard to get a clean ride. The wind is offshore, so you might get a few heavy, dumpy barrels, but your average surfer should sit this one out. With that much short-period swell and poor surf quality, this setup starts to look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, there you have it. A long, slow grind with a couple of bright spots. Get after Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th for the cleanest small waves, and keep that first Friday of September circled for the best swell of the run.

Rusty.

Read more