Summer Surf Alert
- jebshred
- Aug 2
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 3
HEADS UP! Next week’s swell forecast is looking promising for the state of Florida. It’s not going to be anything epic, but the surf apps all seem to be in agreement… most of the sunshine state is likely to see some rideable waves next week. So I'm joining the hype train, because why not? I'm surf-starved and searching for stoke. Nobody's keeping this swell on the downlow, nor should they. Da rulz are what I say da rulz are. But according to multiple sources on the world wide web, there should be a combination of wind swells crossing up in the mid and south Atlantic, spreading rideable waves from Jacksonville through the Palm Beaches, with focal points and hot spots a day-to-day gametime determination. Game on!
There’s going to be some wind to factor in with this swell event, with more huffing-n-puffing in the PM hours, and mid to high tides at sunrise, so you’ll need to time your sessions accordingly. Your best bet for a can't go wrong location, especially if you want to maximize size potential, is probably the inlet at New Smyrna Beach. But there's definitely going to be a thick crowd of groms and teenagers there to duck and dodge… plus a potential shark encounter if you're lucky :)
I don’t think this swell reaches further south than West Palm Beach due to the Bahama shadow, maybe Boca Raton for a knee high shorebreak slides, but my initial thoughts are that this could be a a fun swell for the Treasure Coast, with top spots along Hutchinson Island for the best ratio of calm wind, swell size, and small crowds. Just south of there Juno and Coral Cove in North Palm Beach County should have a waist+ rippable wave on Monday, if you want to ditch work. But it could also easily be under knee high if this swell underperforms, so don't blame me if all of this shakes out to be overwhelmingly mediocre. You could blame Surfnweatherman, he's calling it in his Instagram Reel.
It’s pretty unlikely I’ll drive anywhere, and I’m confident I’ll find something to surf on within a bike ride of the house. So be sure and check back to see how this swell event unfolded in my neighborhood. We don’t get a lot of waves on the east coast during the summer time, not a lot that the adults can play on at least, so when it does happen, you just gotta go!
What’s the Forecast Saying?
Wind swell combo arriving Monday PM and setting up multiple days of rideable surf
The dominant angle is NE with wind swell coming from a mid-Atlantic low (3ft, 8sec-ish)
The less dominant angle is SE, with trade swell from the tropics (2ft, 8sec-ish)
Most breaks will see knee to waist and rideable surf for all skill levels, with top known spots peaking chest to head high at the best tides, on the best days.
Angles will turn more ENE/ESE midweek and surf stays rideable through next weekend
If you’re a Surfline subscriber, check out what they’re saying...
Or click on Surf Captain, Surf Forecast, or Surf Guru for free information. The surf forecast apps can’t seem to agree on which day will be the best chance for clean waves. We’ll just have to wait and see where the focal point of the swell lands and how the local wind conditions unfold. Check out Windy.com to see the wind report and forecast in real time. I’ve also got a nice collection of surf report links on my surf Forecast Page, so bookmark that if you'd like.
Champ Sighting
I'm pretty sure I saw CJ and son jogging the beach this morning, both with headphones on. They too are focused-in on the upcoming waves and getting themselves ready! Yewwww. I watched CJ surf with his son from the boardwalk by my house last spring. Afterward his son picked up some seaglass off the sand and was super stoked to show it to me as they crossed over the dune. I knew exactly who he was but I played it cool and just smiled. The waves were very small that day so there wasn't much to shred. I've seen CJ surf this area before (and Damian) but not in a while. I'm so stoked to share a neighborhood with these legends.
OK, I hope everyone finds some time to surf next week. It looks like things could be starting to crank up again seasonally. I think we're due for a good surf season. It's been a while.
digging these kids' jams
