57th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got cookin'.

Honestly, looking at the whole 16-day window, it's a pretty flat and quiet period for 57th Street. The water's a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting around 76°F, but that's about the only thing that's got any spark. We're looking at a long, long stretch of barely a bump.

For the first few days, Thursday the 27th of August through to the end of the month, it's all tiny weak stuff. We're talking waist-high or below, with a combined energy reading barely getting into double digits—like 51 for the morning of the 27th. That's a whisper, not a wave. The wind is a problem, mostly cross-onshore and choppy, so the poor surf conditions tag is spot on.

There's a tiny glimmer on Sunday the 30th morning—the wind goes glassy, and that's a beautiful thing to hear. But the swell is still a paltry 1ft from the southeast with a short period. It'd be clean, but there's just no power behind it. You'd be on a foamie fighting for a dribble.

Moving into the first week of September, the trend keeps going. The wind cleans up a few times on the 31st and 1st, with light cross-offshore breezes, but the swell doesn't budge. We're stuck in the 1ft to 1ft range with combined energy numbers that are basically a flatline—22, 19, 14. It's frustrating, because the conditions would be clean, but there's nothing to ride.

There is a bit of a pulse mid-week on Wednesday the 2nd, with the period jumping to 11 seconds and energy hitting 62 in the afternoon. That is a slightly more organised groundswell. Problem is, it’s coming from the southeast and the wind is onshore, so even that little bump will be messy. That's likely the biggest and most organised we'll see, but it's still not good. A 1ft to 2ft swell on a sandbar just doesn't cut it.

The rest of the first week into the second week is more of the same. There's a tiny increase in size around the 6th of September, with the swell height hitting 4ft. That's enough to get a beginner’s heart racing, but the period is short at 7 seconds, the energy is moderate at 138, and it's blown out by strong cross-onshore winds from the east. It's going to be a choppy, lumpy mess. That kind of setup, with strong wind and a beach break, honestly looks more suited for a kite session than a paddle.

Even the very end of the forecast into the 11th of September offers a tease. Finally, we see a clean, gentle offshore wind from the northwest—perfect for grooming. But the swell is a pathetic 2ft from the south with a short period of 5 seconds. The wave comment still says "poor surf conditions." It’s too small to do anything with.

Bottom line: there are no standout days in this entire 16-day outlook for 57th Street. Save your energy, wax up a longboard for a flat day paddle, or go find something else to do. The forecasts can change, so don't bin this spot entirely, but as it stands, it's a solid flat spell.

- Rusty

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