56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what's on the table for 56th St over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch. We’ve got a persistent, long-period groundswell pushing in from the south-southwest and southwest, but the problem is the wind just won’t play ball. Almost every session over the next 16 days is tagged with a cross-onshore breeze, which is keeping the surface messy and robbing the waves of any real quality. The water temperature is reading 73.2°, which is a massive 6.5° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s super unusual, feels like bath water out there.

The whole 16-day window is a bit of a write-off for a good surf. The swell energy is moderate at best, with numbers like (273) and (283) early on, climbing into the strong range by the second week, hitting over (500) on a couple of afternoons. But that extra energy goes to waste with the wind. The swell heights stay small, ranging from 1.3 ft to 3.0 ft, with long periods between 13 and 21 seconds. Those long-period swells need clean, offshore wind to really shine, and we just aren't getting it.

There’s no standout day, no session where it all comes together. Every single forecast entry says "poor surf conditions." There are a couple of mornings, like Thursday the 13th and the 19th, where the wind turns straight onshore for a bit, and while that's cleaner than cross-onshore, it's still not the offshore direction we'd want at this sheltered break to really groom the wave. It’s a consistent setup, but it tends not to stay this poor for long – forecasts can change – but for this forecast period, we’re looking at a flat run of onshore slop. If the swell gets up and the wind stays messy, this spot might look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Keep an eye on it, but for now, give the board a rest.

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