56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, giving you the same look in old-school units. The 16-day outlook for 56th St is a tough one, no two ways about it. There’s a big gap of no good surf, starting right now and running all the way through late July and into early August. You’re looking at a long stretch of nothing worth the drive.

The problem is the wind is almost always coming across the beach, and the swell direction is just wrong for this spot. The water is a balmy 70°F, which is way warmer than normal for this time of year, a real anomaly of about 4°F, so it’s a warm soak, but that’s the only highlight.

Let’s break it down. Monday the 20th starts with a 4ft SSW swell, but a light onshore breeze kills it. Tuesday the 21st is a little bigger at 4ft, but again, cross-onshore wind keeps it messy. This pattern repeats for days: small swell, poor wind, poor surf. The wave energy is moderate, but it’s all wasted. The long period swells, like the 21-second stuff on the 25th, are a real tease—they’d be great somewhere else, but here they just don’t work.

We get a little more energy on the 24th, with a 4ft S swell, and the wind is light and onshore, but it’s still only a “maybe” because of the tide. That’s the closest we come to a real window.

The only thing that might be worth a look is way out on Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning shows a 5ft S swell with a long period, and by the afternoon it’s pushing 5ft. The wind is a light cross-onshore, which is a bit better, but it’s still a marginal call. That’s getting into the size that’s a bit much for beginners, and the long period means it’ll have some punch. It’s a long way out, and the forecast is shaky.

Honestly, the setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of this run. The wind is consistent and the water is warm, but for a surfer, it’s a real bummer. The only potential standout is that one day on August 4th, and that’s a big “if.” Let’s hope the models change.

Rusty.

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