56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for 56th St. Gotta be straight with you – this outlook is a real mixed bag, and for the first week, it’s a tough one to get excited about.

The whole 16-day window starts off pretty flat and messy. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 69°, which is nice, but it doesn’t make up for the lack of any real quality surf. The first few days, from Thursday the 16th right through to Saturday the 18th, are a write-off. We’ve got tiny swell, barely 1ft, mixed with a light cross-onshore wind that’s putting a chop on the surface. The combined wave energy is weak (128 to 364), and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” across the board. Nothing to even paddle for.

There’s a long gap of almost no recommendation until Sunday the 19th. That morning, things finally start to look a little more interesting. The swell picks up to 5ft from the S, with a solid 14-second period, giving it some real push. The combined energy jumps to 1200, which is moderate. The wind is light and offshore from the SSW, which is a major positive – it’ll be clean. That Sunday morning is the first true standout. It’s marginal, but it’s the best we’ve got so far. The afternoon stays a bit lumpy as the wind swings cross-on, so try to get on it early. The afternoon swell bumps up to 5ft, but the onshore wind messes it up.

Monday the 20th is similar, with 5ft of S swell in the morning and light offshore wind, but it’s a little less consistent. The energy drops to 712. The afternoon gets bumpy again. Tuesday the 21st drops back to 3ft, and the wind is stronger, so it’s back to poor conditions.

The second week, from the 23rd, has a few pulses but nothing that screams “go.” The 24th of July Friday morning has a 4ft S swell with a 14-second period and light offshore wind, but the wave comment is still marginal. The 25th and 26th see a bit more size, but the wind is variable. The 26th of July Sunday morning has a long-period 3ft SSW swell, period at 19 seconds, and light offshore wind – that’s a very long period swell, which at a beach break like 56th St might run a bit straight and fat, but it’ll be clean. The energy is 1050, moderate.

The real standout for the whole outlook is still Sunday the 19th morning. The combination of 5ft S swell, 14-second period, and light offshore wind gives the cleanest, most powerful surf in the whole run. The rest are just marginal mornings with small windows.

No other break is highlighted, so that’s all we’ve got. 56th St is a very consistent spot, so it’s a bit of a bummer, but it tends not to stay poor for long. Forecasts can change. Keep an eye on the morning windows.

Rusty.

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