56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window is a tough one for 56th St. The swell is hanging around, but the conditions just aren’t coming together. We’ve got a long stretch of onshore or cross-onshore wind messing things up, and the surf quality is poor nearly every day.

For Sunday the 16th, we’ve got a 3ft swell from the SSW with a long 16-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy is moderate at 410, so there’s some push there. But the wind is a cross-onshore breeze at 6 mph, putting a light ruffle on the surface. The morning might offer a brief window that’s borderline, but the afternoon picks up to a moderate breeze and becomes choppy. Not a day to get excited about.

Monday the 17th through to Saturday the 22nd is pretty much the same story – small swell dropping from 3ft down to 1ft, with cross-onshore winds and a lot of chop. The energy drops from 301 down to 124 by Saturday morning. Not worth suiting up for.

From Sunday the 23rd to Friday the 28th, the swell stays small, between 1ft and 2ft, but we finally get some periods of offshore or cross-shore wind. On Sunday morning, we get clean offshore wind from the SSW at 9 mph on a 1ft, 19-second swell. That’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s tiny. The combined energy is only 238. If you’re desperate for a glide on a log, maybe, but it’s not a real session.

The best chance in the whole outlook is Saturday the 29th. The swell bumps up to 3ft in the morning from the SSW, with a 15-second period. The combined energy jumps to 370 – moderate, but the highest we’ve seen in a while. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, so it’s manageable. The afternoon sees the swell hit 3ft, period 16 seconds, and energy spikes to 571, which is solid. But the wind picks up to a moderate cross-shore 12 mph from the W, creating a cross-chop. The morning session on the 29th is your best bet – it’s the standout in this flat spell.

Then Sunday the 30th gives a marginal nod, with 3ft swell and offshore wind at 6 mph in the morning, but the “marginal surf or questionable tide” warning tells me to be cautious. The energy is 403. After that, Monday the 31st fades back to small, poor conditions.

Look, this is a stretch where consistency is low and the wind is working against us. It’s not a total blank, but you have to pick your moments. The water temperature is sitting at 72°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a 5°F anomaly. That’s unusual, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

If you’re a kite surfer, some of those afternoons with the moderate cross-onshore breeze and the small swell might offer more fun than a surfboard will. For regular surfing, wait for Saturday morning the 29th and keep your expectations mellow.

Rusty.

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