56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for 56th St.

Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – the first few days are a bit of a write-off. Saturday morning starts with a weak 3ft SSW swell, but it's cross-on and the combined energy is only 808 (moderate), and the water is sitting at a warm 74°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. The conditions are just marginal, with a light cross-onshore breeze messing with the surface. Saturday afternoon gets worse – the swell bumps up a little to 4ft, but the wind stays cross-on and it gets choppy. Not worth paddling out.

Sunday morning, the 6th of September, is where it gets interesting. The swell jumps to 5ft from the south, with a 14-second period, and the wind swings around to the north, blowing offshore at 12 mph. The combined energy reaches 1019 (strong). That’s your standout window. The waves will be clean and lined up, with that offshore wind holding the faces open. It’s a solid intermediate swell, so not one for the groms, but for anyone with a bit of experience, this is the session to target. The crowds can be around sometimes, but that’s a price worth paying for clean, 5ft south swell.

Sunday afternoon the wind shifts to a light cross-offshore, and the swell holds at 5ft, so it’s still good, but the morning is the pick.

Monday morning the 7th sees the swell drop a touch, but the period shortens to 13 seconds, and the wind goes cross-shore. It’s workable but not as good as Sunday. By the afternoon, the wind picks up to 12 mph cross-on, and it gets choppy again. The rest of the week from Tuesday onward is a slow fade – the swell drops below 3ft, the energy sinks into the 100-700 range, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-on. The only half-decent moment is Wednesday morning the 9th, with a light onshore wind and a 4ft SSW swell, but the period is short at 10 seconds, and it’s still marginal.

From the 10th of September all the way through to the 20th, it’s a long stretch of tiny, poor-quality surf. The swell sits between 2ft and 3ft, mostly from the SW, with periods that are all over the place – some long 17-21 second groundswells, but the energy is weak (under 600 most days). The wind is almost always onshore or cross-on, so expect bumpy, uninviting conditions. The 17th of September morning has a 2ft SSW swell with a 21-second period, but that’s so long and small it’ll just be a slow, fat wall at best for a reef or point, but at a beach break like 56th St, it’s going to close out straight. Not worth the paddle.

So, to sum it up: Sunday morning, 6th of September, is your one true standout. Get out there early for clean, 5ft south swell with offshore wind. After that, it’s a long blank run of tiny, onshore junk until the 20th at least. Fingers crossed the forecasts change, but right now, it’s a one-day wonder.

Rusty.

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