56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this straight. I’ve looked at everything for the coming weeks, and I’ve got to be honest with you—it’s a real tough stretch. The only spot with any kind of forecast is 56th St, and even there, it’s a quiet story for a long, long time. We’re talking about a solid block of days with nothing worthwhile to paddle out for.

The first real chance you’ve got is a tiny window early on Saturday, the 15th of August, and even then it’s thin. Before that, from Wednesday the 5th all the way through Friday the 14th, there’s a solid 10-day gap where the surf is just poor. Small, weak swells, mostly cross-onshore wind, and the wave energy is barely there. For reference, that combined energy starts around 91 and climbs into the low hundreds, but it’s all coming from a short period swell that’s just not doing anything for the break.

Alright, let’s talk about the only day that even gets a nod. Saturday morning, August 15th at 56th St. We’re looking at a little SSE swell, around 3ft, coming from the SSW direction. The period is a decent 16 seconds, so there’s some groundswell character to it, but the energy is still moderate at 442. The wind is light and offshore from the SSW, which is a major positive—you’ll get clean, glassy conditions in the morning. Now, the water temperature is a whopping 74°F, which is 7°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you’ll be shedding the wetsuit for sure.

But here’s the reality check: it’s described as “marginal surf forecast,” and the wave comment is not great. The swell is small, and the break is sheltered, so it needs a lot to line up. This is not a standout session by any stretch. For a beginner, 3ft is fine, but the overall quality is just low. It’s the only thing on the board, and it’s a long wait for not much.

After that, Sunday the 16th has a similar look in the morning—3ft swell, same direction, clean offshore wind—but again, it’s marginal. The rest of the 16-day window just fades back into poor, small, and choppy conditions. If you’re desperate for a paddle, keep an eye on that Saturday morning, but don’t get your hopes up. This is one of those classic flat spells where the forecast can only change for the better.

Rusty.

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