57th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got on the cards. To be straight with you, the next 16 days are looking pretty flat and lean around 57th Street. There’s a whole lot of nothing in the first week, with a few scattered moments that a kite boarder might enjoy more than a surfer. The only real time to feel a bit of hope kicks off right at the tail end of the outlook, around the 27th and 28th of August.

The whole stretch starts out with tiny, weak pulses. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are all about knee-high slop at best – 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft. The wind is mostly cross or cross-off, so it’s clean, but there’s just no push. Combined energy is barely registering, down around 6 to 9. It’s frustrating.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th see a tiny bump in size, up to 2 ft, but that’s a short-period windswell. By Sunday afternoon, we’ve got a 4 ft southerly swell rolling in, but it’s blown out by 19 mph cross-onshore wind. The combined energy hits 93, which is still weak, and the conditions are lumpy. That afternoon is likely more for the kite crew than paddle surfers.

Monday the 17th offers a small glimmer. The morning is glassy, with a 3 ft SSE swell, period around 7 seconds. Combined energy is 65 – still weak. It’s surfable but ordinary. If you were desperate and had a log, you might get a dribble, but it’s pretty forgettable.

From Tuesday the 18th right through to Wednesday the 26th, it’s a proper dry spell. The swell drops back to 0.7 ft to 1 ft, with most days showing “poor surf conditions.” There are a few glassy mornings on the 22nd and 23rd, but the swell is non-existent. The combined energy hovers between 23 and 58. It’s a long, dull gap of nearly nine days with nothing to recommend for a surfer.

Now, here’s where our standout appears. Thursday the 27th of August morning sees a jump to 4 ft from the east, with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy climbs to 153 – that’s moderate energy finally. The wind is cross-onshore, so it’s a bit bumpy, but it’s the first real sign of life. By Thursday afternoon, the swell builds to 5 ft from the east, period 7 seconds, and the energy hits 243 – moderate. The wind shifts to a cross-offshore from the WSW. It’s clean. That’s the best window in the whole 16 days.

Friday the 28th of August morning carries on the momentum: 5 ft from the east, period 7 seconds, combined energy 184, and a clean offshore breeze from the NW. The waves are still on the smaller side of fun, but it’s the closest we get to a session. That 5 ft swell on the 27th afternoon is the pick – but it’s a sandbar here, so the short period (7 seconds) means the waves might be a bit crumbly. Still, it’s clean and has some push.

Water temperature? At 57th Street, for the first break we talk about, there’s no anomaly given, so let’s just say it’s about average for the time of year.

Bottom line: The first week and a half is a write-off. Don’t bother paddling out unless you own a kite. The end of the month, specifically the afternoon of the 27th and the morning of the 28th, is your best and only real chance for a surf. It’s not pumping, but it’s surfable. Keep an eye on it.

- Rusty

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