56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks. I’m looking at 56th St, and it’s gonna be a bit of a tough stretch. The waves are there, but they’re small and the wind just won’t give us a break. Water temp is way up there, 71.8°, which is about 4.9° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s properly warm, almost feels like a bath. You won’t need much more than a spring suit.

We’ve got a long gap with no real surf on offer here. For the first stretch, from Wednesday the 12th through to Wednesday the 26th of August, it's just not happening. The swell’s there, but it's weak, with combined energy mostly in the low to mid hundreds (320, 287, 363 – you get the picture). It’s mostly coming from the SW at around 1.3ft to 3.3ft, but with a constant cross-onshore wind, it’s just gonna be chopped up and messy. You’ll see some bigger readings, like Saturday the 15th afternoon pushing 3.3ft with energy up to 563, but that cross-on breeze is going to ruin it. Even when it’s light, it’s cross-on, and the wave comment stays the same: poor surf conditions. There’s no point getting excited.

The first sign of anything half-decent doesn't come until Thursday the 27th of August, and even that’s only rated as marginal. We’ve got a SSW swell at 2.6ft, and the wind finally drops to a near-calm 3 mph onshore. That's the cleanest it's gonna get, and the energy jumps to 524. It’s still small, and the period is a short 14 seconds, but at least it’s glassy.

Honestly, for the next two and a half weeks, the paddle out is a lot of work for not much return. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – there’s just more wind than wave for most of it. If you’re desperate for a slide, keep your eye on that 27th. It’s not the standout you want, but it’s the only window with clean conditions.

It’s a blank run, which is a shame, but with a break this consistent, I’d bet the forecasts change. Hang in there.

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