57th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim outlook for the region. The first real surfable day doesn’t show up until the end of the first week, and even then, it’s barely a whisper. There’s a long dry spell before that, so don’t bother waxing up just yet.

The only spot with any data is 57th Street, a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent. This time of year, the water is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal – a nice little anomaly for the time of year.

The first hint of anything that might get you wet is on Friday, August 28th. The morning is glassy with zero wind, and we’ve got a tiny 1 ft to 1 ft swell from the ESE. The combined energy is weak, only 62 (moderate wave energy). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon cleans up a bit with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is still ankle-to-knee high at best.

After that, it’s back to poor surf conditions for days. The wind gets messy, and the swell drops off. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations.

Now, if you’re looking for the one true standout in this entire 16-day window, it’s a long-range call, so keep your expectations in check. On Saturday, September 5th and into Sunday, September 6th, we finally see a pulse of energy. The combined swell energy jumps to 115 and 129 (strong wave energy) on the Saturday. The swell is 3 ft from the E with a 9-second period, which isn’t bad. The wind turns offshore from the NNW, cleaning things up beautifully. This is the best on offer. The following day, Sunday the 6th, has a smaller 2 ft E swell with clean cross-offshore wind, but it’s not as punchy. The afternoon gets a bit weird with a short-period 4 ft S swell.

For the rest of the second week, it’s mostly small and clean but not really worth paddling out for. There’s a moment on Thursday, September 10th with a 3 ft SSE swell and offshore WNW wind, giving moderate offshore and clean conditions. The combined energy is 124 (strong wave energy), but the period is short at 6 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Overall, if you’re desperate, aim for the clean offshore days around September 5th and 6th. The rest of the time, it’s a waiting game. The setup is a beach, so with the onshore winds and small chop, it might look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most days.

Stay patient, folks.

Rusty.

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