56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. The forecast period has a pretty grim start for 56th St. We're looking at a long stretch of poor conditions before anything really worth paddling out for shows up.

For the first ten days, from Monday the 20th of July right through to the end of the month, it's a tough watch. The surf is consistently weak, with the combined swell energy struggling to get past the 700-800 mark, and the wind is almost always from the wrong direction, putting a cross-onshore chop on everything. The waves are small, mostly around 2ft to 5ft, and the quality is just not there. It's a real flat spell.

Now, the first real glimmer of hope comes right at the end of the month. On Friday the 31st of July, the swell finally starts to kick up. The morning shows a 5ft swell from the SSE with a period of 15 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to a solid 1441. That's a strong, long-period groundswell pushing in. The wind is light and offshore from the SW, which is key. Conditions are still described as marginal, but this is the first day that looks like it could actually have some rideable waves, especially for the experienced crew. The swell gets a little bigger in the afternoon, hitting 6ft, but the wind shifts to a cross-onshore, so the morning is the definite window.

The best bet on offer is Saturday the 1st of August. The morning kicks off with a 6ft swell from the S, a period of 13 seconds, and a whopping combined energy of 1246. The wind is light and offshore from the SW. That is a solid, powerful swell with clean conditions. At 6ft, it's getting into the zone where it's a bit much for beginners, but for intermediates and above, this is the standout window. The afternoon stays big at 6ft, but the wind goes cross-onshore, so the morning is the time to be in the water.

After that, the swell drops back down quickly through the 2nd of August, and by the 3rd, we're back to small, weak surf. So, the entire 16-day window is a story of waiting. The first ten days are a write-off, and then we get a promising but short-lived pulse from the 31st of July through the 1st of August. Lock in the morning of the 1st of August for the best chance of a proper wave.

The water temperature on Monday the 20th of July was 70°, which is 4° warmer than usual for this time of year. That's a very notable warm spell, making the wait in the water a bit more pleasant.

Rusty

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