57th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s shaping up over the next couple of weeks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – this outlook is a bit of a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf and it’s gonna be a while before anything really gets going. The first recommendation comes in on Wednesday, 12 August at 57th Street, but even then, it’s more of a "might be worth a paddle" than a "drop everything and go". The combined swell energy is sitting at a pretty weak 68 (moderate on the low end), with a tiny 3ft SSW swell. The wind is cross-offshore from the WNW, which is fine, but the waves are just straight up ordinary. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 76°, so that’s a small comfort.

Things stay pretty flat and uninspiring through the next week. We’ve got a long stretch of days – from the 13th through the 18th – where the swell is barely a whisper. Swell heights are mostly below 2ft, and the combined energy readings are all two-digit numbers, mostly below 50. The wind chops around, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. There’s a glassy morning on Thursday, 13 August and again on Saturday, 15 August, but with a swell of just 1ft and 1ft respectively, it’s more of a longboard or a swim than a surf.

Now, the first real sign of life comes in the second week. On Wednesday, 19 August (that’s a full week from now), we see a big jump. The swell pushes up to 6ft in the morning from the SE, and the combined energy hits 159 (moderate). But the wind is cross-shore from the SSW, and conditions are rated as poor. By the afternoon, it gets even bigger – 8ft from the SE with a combined energy of 893 (strong!) – but it’s rainy and the wind is still cross-shore. This is getting into expert territory. For a beginner, that’s way too much.

Thursday, 20 August keeps the swell pumping at 7ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon, with combined energy readings of 625 and 568 (strong). But the wind is onshore from the SE, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. The wave quality is poor, and honestly, with that kind of onshore wind and size, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle surf at a sandbar.

The best bet in this whole 16-day window is actually the tail end of the swell. On Saturday, 22 August, the swell drops back to 2ft, but the wind swings offshore from the NW in the morning. It’s still a small wave, but clean. The combined energy is 82. By the afternoon, it’s even cleaner with a gentle offshore breeze from the WNW. It’s not a standout, but if you’re desperate, that’s the cleanest window we get.

The Bottom Line: There’s no true standout here. The biggest swell is on the 19th and 20th, but it’s blown out and messy. If you’re an expert looking for a challenge, that might be your window, but don’t expect perfection. For everyone else, the cleanest conditions are on the 22nd, but it’s small. It’s a frustrating outlook, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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