56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burn. We’ve got a solid eight-day stretch from the 30th of August through to the 6th of September where the conditions are just… off. The swell is there, but the wind is constantly cross-onshore, making a mess of things. The waves are running 2ft to 3ft, but the chop is ugly. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird.

The first real chance to get wet comes on Sunday, the 6th of September. That morning, the wind shifts to a light cross-offshore breeze from the northeast at 10 km/h, and the sea cleans right up. The swell is 3ft, coming from the south with a long period of 13 seconds. That’s groundswell, and it’s got some grunt. The energy is solid (676 on the scale), and the waves should have real shape. With the offshore wind, it’s gonna be glassy. The break is a “sometimes” crowd spot, so you might see a few others, but for a Sunday morning, it’s the best of the whole forecast. This is the standout.

Monday the 7th of September keeps the swell at 4ft from the south, but the wind goes light cross-on from the south at 5 km/h. It’s still clean, but the energy drops a bit. It’s a marginal call – you might get a few, but it’s not the same as Sunday.

From Tuesday the 8th onward, it starts to fall apart. The swell gets bigger – up to 5ft on the 8th – but the wind is cross-onshore or worse. That 5ft stuff is too big for beginners, and with the chop, it’s only for the experienced guys. The period drops to 8–10 seconds, which is weak and crumbly. The energy hits 891 on the 8th, but it’s all wasted on the wind.

By the 10th of September, the swell drops to 2ft, and the period stretches out to 17 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s tiny and the wind is still a problem. There are a few light-wind windows in the second week, like on the 13th and 14th, but the swell is barely 2ft, with a period of 14 to 19 seconds. The energy is weak, under 300. It’s just not enough to get excited about.

So, the bottom line: the first week is a write-off. Sunday the 6th is your best bet. After that, it’s a slow fade into small, messy, or chopped-up conditions. Keep an eye on things, but for now, that Sunday morning is the one to chase.

Rusty.

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