56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the outlook for 56th St is a bit of a tough one. We're looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf that just isn't going to get the heart pumping. The water is currently sitting at 66°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so at least a wetsuit isn't a shock to the system.

We kick off from Thursday the 9th of July, and honestly, the story doesn't change much for a solid week. You've got ankle-to-knee high swell from the SSW, mostly around 3 ft, with a period around 14 to 16 seconds. That's a long period groundswell, which usually means nice lines, but the combined energy is weak (470 on Thursday afternoon, dropping to 124 by the 16th). The wind is often light and onshore, or light cross-onshore, which just kills any chance of a decent wave. It's poor surf, plain and simple. This continues through until the 18th of July.

Now, the 18th of July, Saturday, things finally start to look a bit more interesting. The swell picks up to 3 ft – 4 ft from the SSE, with a moderate energy reading (887 on the morning, 1153 on the afternoon). The period is still a solid 17-18 seconds, so there's some push. But the wind is a steady cross-onshore out of the WSW at 9 mph, which will keep things a bit lumpy. It's better than what we've had, but it's not a clean, glassy day.

The real standout, and the only time I'd really get excited, is the morning of Sunday the 19th of July. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the S, with a combined energy of 1309, which is proper strong. That's a solid, powerful groundswell of 14 seconds. The wind is light and onshore from the SSW at 6 mph, which is better than a cross-shore. However, at 5 ft, this is getting into the territory where it's too big for beginners and starts to be a challenge for intermediates. The afternoon drops a bit to 5 ft, still solid, but the wind picks up a little. This is the one day where the surf might actually be worth the drive, but it's a marginal call.

After that, from the 20th of July onwards, we're right back to the small stuff, with 2 ft to 3 ft SSW swell and light onshore winds. The energy is weak again, and the "poor surf conditions" tag is back.

So, to wrap it up: Don't expect much for the first week. The 18th of July is a slight improvement, but the best bet is the morning of the 19th of July with that bigger, stronger S swell. Even then, it's a "maybe" rather than a "definitely get in the water." For the rest of it, you're better off finding a different hobby for a while.

Rusty.

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