15th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at 15th Street.

Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – the next 16 days aren’t gonna have us shouting from the rooftops. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swell and onshore or cross-onshore winds making things messy. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 71°, which is a nice little bonus for the skin.

The first real chance to wet a line doesn’t come until Thursday morning, September 10th. We’re looking at a 3ft SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and the energy is moderate (632). The problem is the wind is a cross-on from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’s gonna be a bit choppy and the conditions are described as marginal. Not a total write-off, but it’s not clean. That afternoon and into Friday, the swell drops a touch, the period slips to 15-16 seconds, and the wind stays annoying. The scores are low, and I’d say it’s a struggle.

From Saturday the 12th through to Tuesday the 15th, we’re in a real slump. Swell heights drop to 2ft – 3ft, the period comes down, and the wind is either cross-on or onshore. The energy levels are weak to moderate (282-418). The surf is poor, and it’s not worth your time.

Then we get a bit of a tease on Wednesday the 16th. The swell picks up a touch to 3ft from the SSW, with a 17-second period and moderate energy (509). The wind is light and onshore from the W at 6 mph, which is better than a hard cross-on, but it’s still onshore. The forecast calls it “marginal,” and I’d agree. It’s a maybe, not a go.

The next few days, from the 17th to the 20th, are a repeat of the same story: small swell, 2ft to 3ft, mostly onshore wind, and poor to marginal conditions. The strongest energy in this stretch hits on Sunday the 20th at 677, but it’s paired with a moderate cross-shore wind that’ll put a chop on it.

Now, the best bet in the whole outlook comes around Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd. On Monday afternoon, we get a 4ft SW swell with a 17-second period and the energy jumps to 827 – that’s the strongest reading we see. The wind is light and onshore from the W at 6 mph. It’s not perfect glass, but a light onshore is far better than a strong one. Tuesday morning has a 3ft SW swell with 16-second period and 539 energy, still with that light W wind. These are the standout sessions. The other days are just not doing it for us.

The last few days from the 23rd to the 25th go back to small, weak, onshore slop. There’s a flare-up on the 25th afternoon with a 2ft SW swell but a very long 20-second period and 623 energy, but the wind is onshore again. It’s a tease.

Bottom line: Don’t get your hopes up for the first week and a half. The best of the bunch is Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd. It’s not a world-class day, but it’s the cleanest we’re gonna get. The rest… well, there’s a reason the kite surfers might be having more fun than us.

Rusty.

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