15th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s cookin’ for 15th Street.

First thing you gotta know, the water is a balmy 73°F right now, which is about 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s seriously warm, feels like a summer holdover, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

The first real chance to get wet looks like Sunday afternoon, September 6th. It’s not great, but it’s the start. We’ve got a 5ft S swell rolling in with a 13-second period, so there’s some decent energy in the water (1321). The problem is the wind is howling from the N at 19 mph, making it a lumpy cross-chop. It’s rideable if you’re desperate, but it’s not going to be pretty.

Monday the 7th is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning has a 6ft SSW swell with a solid 13-second period (1072 energy), but the wind is a cross-onshore, so it’s choppy. The afternoon drops a notch in energy (982) and the conditions are just poor. Tuesday the 8th sees the swell drop to 4ft, but the wind goes offshore in the morning! That’s a little window of clean lines, but the swell is small, so it’s a longboard or a funboard session.

Now, Wednesday the 9th is where it gets interesting. The morning is tiny, but the afternoon... Wednesday afternoon, the wind goes glassy. Dead flat. We’ve got a 3ft SW swell, but the period is 16 seconds, giving it a nice push (517 energy). That’s the standout of the whole forecast. Very clean, glassy conditions, and a long-period groundswell. For a beach and reef break like this, that long period might make it a bit straight, but for a small clean wave, it’s the best you’re gonna get. Mark it.

After that, from Thursday the 10th through the 16th, it’s a slog. The swell hangs around the 2ft to 4ft range, but it’s mostly cross-onshore or onshore winds. The energy dips into the 200s and 300s. It’s small and bumpy. There’s a real gap of poor surf for over a week.

There’s a flicker of hope late in the run. On Sunday, September 20th, the afternoon shows a 3ft SW swell with a 19-second period, pushing 757 energy. And Monday the 21st has a similar 4ft SW swell at 17 seconds, with 802 energy. The wind is forecast to be light onshore, which is a letdown, but the swell is there. The period is very long, so this is a groundswell that will wrap in nicely if the wind plays its cards right. It’s a long-range call, so don’t book the trip yet, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

Overall, Wednesday afternoon, September 9th, is your best bet. After that, there’s a long dry spell with a late, promising, but uncertain pulse around the 20th and 21st.

Rusty.

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