56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for 56th St. I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s a pretty quiet stretch of days ahead. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a challenge, with a long gap of nothing worth getting excited about until late in the piece.

The overall pattern is dominated by mostly cross-onshore winds and a lot of poor surf conditions. The water temperature is sitting at 70°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

For the first half of the outlook, from Sunday 19 July right through to the morning of Thursday 30 July, it’s pretty grim. Day after day of waves in the 2 ft to 4 ft range, mostly from the SSW, with periods that are all over the shop. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate at best, with values like 522 (moderate) and 646 (moderate) early on, but the surf quality is just poor. The wind is always cross-on or just on, and the wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” There’s a morning on Thursday 23 July with a tiny 2 ft, and even a Friday 24 July with a tiny 2 ft but a long period of 24 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, but it’s so small and the wind is messy, it’s not worth paddling out for.

Then we hit a bit of a turning point. On Saturday 25 July morning, the comment shifts to “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” with a combined energy of 856 (moderate) and a 3 ft SSW swell. The wind is light and onshore, which is a big positive. It’s still not a standout, but it’s the first sign of life. The same goes for Sunday 26 July morning (3 ft, 899 energy) and Monday 27 July morning (4 ft, 906 energy). The light onshore winds are keeping things clean, but these waves are still small and inconsistent.

The real highlight, the only one I’d really call a standout, is the end of the period. On Friday 31 July, the morning shows a 5 ft S swell with a period of 16 seconds, and combined energy jumps to 1629 (strong). The wind is light onshore, which is fantastic for clean conditions. The afternoon gets even better: 7 ft S swell, 16 seconds, and energy at 2203 (strong). That’s a solid, powerful groundswell. The wave comment is still “marginal,” but the size and period are there. This is the best on offer, but it’s a long way out – so keep an eye on it. The following morning, Saturday 1 August, has 5 ft S swell with 13 seconds and energy of 1197 (strong), but the wind is cross-on, so it won’t be as clean.

Because 56th St is a sheltered spot, it needs a proper push from the south or southwest to get going. The crowd is listed as “sometimes,” so you might have company, but it’s not a circus. The break is very consistent, so when it’s on, it’s on.

Overall, don’t bother with the first two weeks – it’s a washout. The only real chance is the last couple of days of July and the very start of August, with Friday 31 July looking like the pick of the bunch. Be patient, and check the forecast again closer to the date.

Rusty.

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