56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on 56th St for the next couple weeks.

First up, don’t expect much. This is a long dry spell. The water’s real warm — 24°, which is about 4° hotter than normal for late August. That’s a proper warm spell, but it ain’t helping the waves.

Saturday morning, August 29, there’s a 3ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period — real long, lots of punch. Combined swell energy is moderate at 650. Wind is light cross-onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, so a bit bumpy. The break is sheltered to SW swells, so the direction’s a little off. It’s marginal, not a ripper.

From Saturday afternoon all the way through to Monday, September 7, it’s mostly poor. Winds stay cross-onshore, waves are between 2ft and 5ft, and the conditions are choppy or messy. Nothing worth chasing.

Tuesday, September 8, brings the one real standout. Morning sees 7ft S swell at 13 seconds, energy at 1585 — that’s strong. By the afternoon it’s 10ft at 12 seconds, energy at 2816. That’s big. At over 8ft, it’s expert-only territory. Wind is a gentle cross-onshore making it choppy, but if you’re got the nerve, this is the best shot. The long period might make the beach break a bit straight, but for the experts, it’s on.

After that, Wednesday, September 9 drops to 5ft but with a short 8-second period — weak and sloppy. The rest of the second week is tiny — 2ft to 3ft, mostly cross-onshore or cross-shore winds, with energy under 400. The only clean moment is Sunday morning, September 13, when it’s glassy with a 2ft S swell at 12 seconds. Real clean, but real small. The call is “surfable but very ordinary”.

So the big Tuesday is your only real chance. Everything else is a paddle or a miss. This spot is usually consistent, so this gap is a bit unusual. Keep an eye on the sky.

Rusty.

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