56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the next stretch, yeah? First thing’s first: it’s gonna be a flat, tough grind for a good while. This isn’t one of those times where you’re picking between fun options. We’re looking at a serious dry spell before things even think about waking up.

Right now, for the next several days, the ocean is basically doing nothing. We’re talking tiny, weak waves that aren't even worth getting wet for. The energy is just not there. For the first few days, you’re looking at ankle-snappers. The water temp at 56th St (California) is a warm 74°, which is a solid 8° above normal for this time of year, so it’s gonna feel like a bath out there, but it won’t matter much with the lack of surf. Expect a lot of waiting and not a lot of riding. This dull stretch is really the story for the better part of the first week.

We get a little bump in energy mid-period, but don’t get too excited. Around August 7th, we see a pulse of longer-period swell, but the size stays small. It’s still going to be a slog. The wind is mostly light, but it’s not doing us any favors, often coming across the wave or onshore, making things a little lumpy. Honestly, for the first week, I’d plan on doing anything but surfing. Maybe go for a drive, check your fins, anything.

This quiet, unproductive pattern hangs around for what feels like an eternity. We’re talking nearly nine or ten days of this. Then, as we head into the second week, around August 14th and 15th, things finally start to move. The energy jumps up significantly – we're talking a big jump from moderate to strong energy, hitting the 522-602 range. But here's the kicker: the size finally gets to a more rideable height, but the wind turns against us. We’re looking at a solid cross-onshore flow, which is gonna make things choppy and messy at a beach break like 56th St. It’s got that combo of decent swell and bad wind, which is a bummer. It might be more interesting for kite surfing than actual paddling, to be honest.

The swell direction is from the SSW, which is right in the zone for this spot, and the period gets up there, but on a beach break, these longer period swells can be a bit tricky, breaking too straight. With the onshore wind, it’s gonna be a battle for a clean one. The standout, if you can even call it that, is the morning of August 15th. It’s the biggest of the run at a whole 3ft, but it’s still crossed-up. It's a promise of something better, but it's not quite there.

Beyond that, the surf backs off again into the following week. There’s a little pulse around August 19th with some longer period energy, but it’s back down to small and we’re still dealing with wind issues. To be straight with you, there’s no one day in this whole 16-day window that I’d circle as a true standout. It’s a long, flat road with a small, bumpy blip in the middle. The forecast can always change, and with the consistency this spot usually has, it won’t stay this poor for long. But right now? Save your energy.

Rusty.

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