56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, looking over the charts for 56th St. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day stretch is a one-hit wonder, and then it’s a long, dry spell. The action is all up front on Sunday the 6th of September.

We’ve got a real nice pulse of swell rolling in for that Sunday morning. The water is sitting at 74° which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a solid 6° above average, so you can leave the winter wetsuit at home. 56th St is in a sheltered spot, but it’s picking up a clean 5ft southwest groundswell with a long 14-second period. That long period means proper energy and shape, though it can make a beach break a bit walled-up at times. The wind is blowing offshore out of the north at 12 mph, which is the key here – it’ll be clean, lined-up, and offering up the best conditions of the whole outlook. The combined swell energy is strong at 1044, so there’s plenty of push. The afternoon hangs in there too with similar sized swell and still offshore, but that morning session is the absolute standout. Just keep in mind, this spot does get crowded sometimes, so get there early.

Now, the bad news. After that Sunday session, it all goes pear-shaped. From Monday the 7th, the wind clocks around onshore and cross-shore, the swell drops off a cliff, and we’re looking at a solid two weeks of poor to marginal surf. Most days are a write-off with messy, choppy conditions and tiny waves. There’s a fleeting moment on Thursday the 10th of September with a bit of knee-high swell and light onshore wind, but it’s marginal at best. You’d need an exceptionally long board and low expectations.

Honestly, for this stretch, your best bet is that one glorious Sunday morning. After that, pack the board away and watch the forecasts – it’s a long gap with nothing on offer until the end of the period, where things start looking a little less terrible, but still not worth paddling out for.

Rusty.

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