57th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window from the start of August, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s a slow start for 57th Street. There’s a real gap right at the beginning with nothing worth paddling out for. The first few days are flat with poor wind and small, weak swell. It’s not until Monday the 3rd that we even see a flicker of life, but even then, it’s barely a pulse.

Let’s break it down. The first recommendation doesn’t come until the afternoon of Monday the 3rd. That’s nearly three days of sitting on the beach. On Monday afternoon, the wind finally swings to a nice cross-offshore from the NNE, and the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the SSE with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 406 – that’s a solid push of energy. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The waves will be clean, but for a beginner spot, 5 ft is getting a bit hefty. It’s not a total washout, but it’s not the best I’ve seen.

After that, the week goes quiet again. Lots of poor surf conditions and onshore wind. The next time we see something even remotely surfable is on the 8th of August: a Saturday morning with some clouds and a light WSW cross-off breeze. The swell is small at 3 ft from the SSW, period a short 6 seconds. The energy is only 84. It’s surfable, but just barely. You’ll be on a longboard, and you’ll be working for it.

Then there’s another gap until the 11th of August, a Tuesday. That morning, we get a clean cross-off from the W with 3 ft of SSE swell at 7 seconds. Energy is 86. By the afternoon, the wind goes offshore from the WNW, making it glassy. The swell drops to 3 ft from the S. It’s clean, but it’s small. You’ll get some fun little runners if you’re patient.

The 12th of August, Wednesday morning, offers a similar story: clean, cross-off from the NNE, 2 ft of SSE swell at 8 seconds. Still nothing to write home about.

The real standout – and I mean the only one worth getting excited about – is that Monday afternoon on the 3rd of August. The 5 ft swell with the clean cross-off wind is the best we’ll see. The energy is significant (406), and the waves will have some shape. For a beginner sandbar break, it’s a bit punchy, but for anyone with a bit of experience, it’s a window of opportunity.

After that, the rest of the 16 days is a grim story of small, weak swell with poor wind. The 16th of August has a weird 3 ft swell from the ENE with a 10-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s messy. The energy is 217, but the conditions will ruin it.

Overall, if you’re not on the water on the 3rd of August, you’re mostly waiting for a clean but small window on the 11th. The long-range stuff is a long shot. Stay patient, and check back in a few days.

Rusty.

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