57th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Let’s be straight – the next two weeks are a flat spell for the most part. The only spot we’re looking at is 57th Street, a beginner sandbar that’s fairly exposed. But the swell is tiny, and the conditions are mostly a mess.

We start this Sunday, August 16th, with nothing. Cross-onshore breeze and flat waves – forget it.

Monday the 17th brings a tiny pulse of 3ft from the SSE, and the morning cleans up with a light cross-offshore wind. You’ll get surfable but very ordinary waves, with weak combined energy (64). The afternoon wind goes offshore but the swell drops to just 2ft. You could sit on a longboard and scrape a few, but it’s not a standout.

Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are back to near-flat. A few clean mornings with swell at 2ft or less. The 19th afternoon gets a bit choppy.

From the 20th through to the 26th of August, it’s a real grind. Swells between 1ft and 3ft, but the winds are all over. The 21st sees 3ft from the ENE and NE, but with cross-onshore winds and chop – poor. The 23rd and 24th mornings offer glassy conditions with a tiny 0.7ft to 1ft groundswell (periods of 12-13 seconds), but that’s barely knee-high. A longboarder might get a wave if they’re patient.

Now, the end of the period shows a little more hope. The 26th of August afternoon brings a 1ft swell from the SE with a very long 15-second period, and clean conditions with a cross-offshore breeze – combined energy hits 93, still ordinary. The 27th of August morning is the closest to a good session: 2ft from the SE with a 13-second period, a proper offshore wind from the NNW, and clean lines. Combined energy reaches 146 – moderate. That afternoon stays clean too. It’s not big, but it’ll be the most rideable of the whole outlook for a competent surfer.

From the 28th of August onward, it gets messier. The 29th sees a jump to 4ft to 5ft from the ENE, but with strong cross-onshore winds and a short, weak period (5-6 seconds), it’s choppy junk. The 30th of August picks up to 5ft from the E, but with onshore wind and poor conditions – combined energy is 255 (moderate) but it’s not clean. The 31st of August morning has 6ft from the ENE with cross-shore wind, marginal at best.

Honestly, no real standout. Your best bet is a glassy morning on the 23rd or 24th for a few knee-high waves, or the offshore clean lines on the 27th morning with waist-high sets if you’re lucky. Nothing for beginners over 5ft here, and it never gets big enough for experts only. Water temp is about average for this time of year.

So, if you’re keen, 57th Street on the morning of the 27th of August is your best shot. Otherwise, keep the board stashed and hope the forecasts shift. It tends not to stay poor forever.

Rusty.

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