56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty.

Look, I’m just gonna level with you. For the next 16 days at 56th St, it’s a tough watch. The setup is sheltered, and it needs a solid SW swell to get going, but what we’re seeing is a whole lot of small, ropy, cross-onshore junk. The wind is almost never your friend here, and it keeps the surface messy. Combine that with swell heights that barely crack 3 ft, and you’ve got a recipe for a long, frustrating stretch.

We start off with a real slow burn. From Thursday the 6th right through until the 13th, it’s a complete write-off. Swell is tiny, mostly 2 ft to 2 ft, and the wind is always on it. The combined energy is weak, barely getting into the low hundreds (116–329), and the wave comment is "poor surf conditions" across the board. There’s a day or two in there with a long period (up to 19 seconds), but it’s coming in from the SSW, which is never quite right for this break, and the wind just kills any hope of a clean wave.

The only glimmer, and I mean a tiny one, comes on Friday the 14th morning. The swell bumps up to 2 ft from the SSW, the period is a solid 18 seconds, and the energy jumps to 554. It’s still a light cross-onshore breeze, but the wave comment changes to "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." That’s the best we get. It’s not a stand-out by any stretch, but it’s the only time the numbers even hint at a rideable wave. After that, it goes straight back to poor conditions for the rest of the 16 days.

Honestly, the whole 16-day window looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle. The wind is consistent, but it’s never truly offshore, and the swell is too weak and poorly directed to overcome the chop. It’s a blank run, plain and simple. Sometimes it just stays poor for a while, and forecasts can change, but right now, I’d keep the board in the car.

Rusty.

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