56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the outlook for the next 16 days is a quiet one. There’s a real lack of energy in the water. The first session worth paddling out for isn’t until Friday the 31st of July, and even then, it’s slim pickings. From that point, we’re looking at a long stretch of days with pretty weak surf, and the models are all calling it "poor surf conditions" right through to the end of the forecast period on the 15th of August. There’s no standout, firing day in there, but I’ll talk you through what’s there.

The only break on the radar is 56th St. It’s a sheltered spot, so it needs a decent push from the southwest to get any sort of shape. For the first weekend, the 31st of July through to the 2nd of August, we’ve got a tiny little SSW groundswell coming in. The height is only around 3 ft to 3 ft, with a period of 12 to 13 seconds. The combined energy is weak, sitting between 260 and 346 (moderate wave energy). The water temperature is sitting at 73 °F, which is a whole lot warmer than usual for this time of year – a notable anomaly.

The wind on the 31st of July is a light cross-onshore, but by the 1st and 2nd of August, it switches to a clean, light onshore breeze. It’s not going to be terrible, but the swell is just too small and weak to get excited about.

Moving into the next week, the 3rd of August onwards, the swell continues to drop. We’re looking at 1 ft to 2 ft surf from the SW and SSW. The periods are all over the shop, from 12 seconds up to a very long 19 seconds on the 7th of August. That long period groundswell would usually be a good sign, but with this little height, it’s going to be a struggle to get a ride. The energy values are dropping into the double digits, with a few days reading as low as 82 (weak energy). The wind stays mostly light and onshore or cross-onshore, so the surface won't be blown out, but there just isn't any power.

The second week, from the 9th to the 15th of August, is more of the same. Persistent small swell, mostly 1 ft to 2 ft, with periods ranging from 13 to 19 seconds. The combined energy creeps back up into the 200s and 300s (moderate wave energy) on a few days, but the wave comment still says "poor surf conditions" across the board. The wind is a constant light cross-onshore, which is a bit of a shame.

Honestly, if you’re desperate for a paddle, the best chance for a vaguely clean wave is probably the 1st of August with the light onshore wind and a bit of 3 ft SSW swell. But don’t expect much. This whole stretch looks more interesting for a bit of a cruise than a proper surf. The crowd factor is "sometimes" at 56th St, so you might have a few others out there waiting for the same nothing burger.

Signing off, Rusty.

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