57th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at what we’ve got for the coming weeks at 57th Street. This is a sandbar break, fairly exposed to swell, and it’s best when the swell comes from the southeast. The water’s sitting at 77°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home—just a spring suit or shorty will do.

Right now, and for the next several days, it’s pretty grim. The swell is small, weak, and the period is short—mostly under 3ft and with energy in the weak range. The combined energy is low, so there’s just not much push. Winds are all over the place, sometimes cross-off or glassy, but the waves are too poor to get excited about. The first real uptick doesn’t come until Tuesday, August 25th, when the swell bumps up to 3ft in the morning, but it’s still short period and cross-shore wind. By the afternoon, it hits 5ft, but the wind turns cross-onshore and the energy jumps to 182—still moderate, but the quality is poor, so it’s not ideal for paddle surfing; more of a kiter’s session if you’re into that.

Then we hit a quiet stretch—nothing worth paddling out for from Wednesday, August 26th through most of the following week. The swell stays small, around 1.0ft to 3ft, with choppy winds and low energy. The real standout is Friday, August 28th. That morning, we see a 4ft southeast swell with a 13-second period and combined energy of 398—that’s moderate to strong energy. The wind is cross-off from the northeast at 19 mph, which will keep it clean. The afternoon improves a little with a 3ft southeast swell, and the wind backs off to 12 mph, still cross-off. This is the best on offer in the whole 16-day window. The water’s still warm, the swell has some grunt, and the wind is favorable. It’s a Friday, so crowds are possible, but it’s worth a look.

After that, things drop off again. Saturday, August 30th, has a 5ft east swell in the morning, but the period is only 8 seconds and the wind is cross-shore, so it’s not clean. The energy is 351, but the quality is marginal. The rest of the outlook is more small, weak surf with poor conditions. The last real chance is Tuesday, September 1st, with a 2ft east swell and offshore wind, but it’s tiny and short period.

So, here’s the deal: it’s mostly a write-off for the next two weeks, but if you’re keen, set your sights on Friday, August 28th. That’s your best bet for clean, decent waves at 57th Street. The rest of the time, you’re probably better off checking the forecast again or finding a different spot.

Rusty

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