15th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Imperial Version

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – we’re looking at a real frustrating run for 15th Street. The whole first week is mostly cross-on breezes and knee-to-waist high slop. It’s not going to be anything to write home about, and the charts are calling it "marginal" right through.

We start off on Friday the 24th of July with a weak 2ft swell out of the SW, but that wind is cross-on from the SW at 9 mph, so it’s gonna be choppy. The water is way warmer than normal, about 4° warmer than usual. The energy is moderate at 968, but the period is a massive 24 seconds – that’s a very long groundswell. At a beach and reef setup, that long period can make it break a bit too straight, making it tricky.

The wind stays cross-on all through the weekend and into the next week, with the swell slowly building from 3ft on Saturday the 25th up to about 4ft by Monday the 27th. The period is still super long, between 18 and 21 seconds. The energy climbs into the four-digit range (1169 on Monday morning), but the cross-shore wind is the spoiler. It’ll be bumpy, not clean.

The pattern keeps going like that – a bit of size but always a cross-on breeze. By Thursday the 30th, we get to 5ft from the S with a period of 15 seconds. From Thursday night into Friday the 31st, the swell jumps to a solid 7ft from the S, with the wind shifting directly onshore from the W at 9 mph. That’s moving into strong wave energy (1766) but with those big sets and onshore wind, it’s a frothy, blown-out mess. For beginners, 7ft is getting too big, and for everyone else, the 14-second period still means it might be shifty.

The best that’s on offer in this stretch is actually Saturday the 1st of August. The swell settles to a manageable 6ft to 6ft from the SSW, with a period of 13 seconds. The wind goes light and onshore from the W at 6 mph. That’s still offshore for 15th Street, which is the interplay of the wind being at your back. The ratings are only a 3/10, but compared to the rest, it’s the best window. The energy is still moderate at 1214. It’s not going to be perfect, but it might be the only window with a little bit of shape and some cleaner faces if you can get the tide right.

Then it’s all over. From Sunday the 2nd of August through to the end of the forecast on the 8th of August, the swell drops right off. We’re talking 1ft to 2ft with period dropping to 9 to 12 seconds. The energy drops to two-digit numbers (64-231). The winds are a mix, but the wave comment says it all: "poor surf conditions." There are no standouts. It’s a blank run of almost a full week.

If you’re desperate, Saturday the 1st is your only real shot. Otherwise, look elsewhere or take a rest. The water's warm, but the ocean’s not cooperating.

Rusty.

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