Florida - East Coast
Afternoon is the play — morning is only poor - fair at 2-3ft.
Afternoon is the play — morning is only poor - fair at 2-3ft.
Best window·Friday 6AM–9AM·2-3+ft·Fair - Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Crescent Beach, Florida - East Coast. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Very Poor. Hold off if you can — morning starts out very poor with 1-2ft waves. Things come together by the afternoon with 2-3ft at very poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3+ft, 6s period, rated Fair. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 2-3+ft with light SSE winds. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up. Sea breeze fills back in by mid-afternoon so get on it early.
Sat, Sep 5: 1–2ft, 5s period, rated Poor. A slow one — 1-2ft waves and poor conditions with light winds out of the SW.
Sun, Sep 6: 1–2ft, 8s period, rated Very Poor. A slow one — 0-1ft waves and very poor conditions with 8mph WSW winds. Winds do pick up a bit by the afternoon to 14mph.
Mon, Sep 7: 1–2ft, 9s period, rated Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on E swell at 9s with gentle NNW breeze. Onshore flow builds through the day to 11mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
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Check Crescent Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Crescent Beach is a shifty, sand-bottom beach break and the last surfable stretch before the sharky Matanzas Inlet. It doesn't hold big surf, but can turn garden-variety wind chop into fun, peaky waves depending on sandbar alignment. If the sandbars are good in St. Augustine, they'll be good here too. Well-suited for beginners and longboarders looking for uncrowded, mellow conditions.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Crescent Beach is 2-3ft with a 7.5s swell period. Wind is NE at 12mph. Conditions are rated Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Crescent Beach is 2-3ft, produced by a 2ft E wind swell swell at 8s, a 1.4ft E secondary swell at 9s, a 1.2ft NE wind swell swell at 5s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Crescent Beach is Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 3ft waves, a 5.7s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Crescent Beach works best with a E swell and W winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Crescent Beach. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Crescent Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to beginner surfers. Crescent Beach is a shifty, sand-bottom beach break and the last surfable stretch before the sharky Matanzas Inlet. It doesn't hold big surf, but can turn garden-variety wind chop into fun, peaky waves depending on sandbar alignment. If the sandbars are good in St. Augustine, they'll be good here too. Well-suited for beginners and longboarders looking for uncrowded, mellow conditions.
The prime season at Crescent Beach is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Crescent Beach include strong currents, rip currents, jellyfish, sharks, holiday crowds. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Crescent Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
