56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey everyone, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up—this stretch ahead for 56th St is not looking great. The whole 16-day window is filled with small, weak swell and a persistent cross-onshore wind that’s going to keep things messy. We're talking tiny waves, usually around 1ft to 3ft, coming from the SW with long periods (12 to 21 seconds). That’s a bit of a mixed bag—the long period means it’s groundswell with good energy between sets, but with this size and the wind, it’s gonna be hard to find a clean ride.

Right now, starting Sunday afternoon (September 13th) , we’ve got a 2ft SW swell with a 13-second period and a cross-on wind from the WSW at 6 mph. The water is a balmy 72°F, and it’s running about 5°F above normal—so it’s much warmer than usual for this time of year. But the wave comment says it all: "poor surf conditions." The combined energy (200) is moderate, but it’s just not clicking.

The next week is more of the same. Monday through Thursday (Sept 14-17) sees swell between 1ft and 3ft, always SW or SSW, with periods from 16 to 20 seconds. Winds stay light to gentle cross-onshore, keeping things choppy. The combined energy ticks up a bit (167 to 374), but it’s still not enough to get excited about. Every session is marked "poor surf conditions" with scores of 0.

Friday morning September 18th is the only real glimmer—a 2ft SW swell with a 19-second period, light cross-on WSW wind at 6 mph, and a combined energy of 409 (moderate). The wave comment jumps to "marginal surf forecast." But that’s about as good as it gets, and even then, it’s a maybe. The afternoon sees the wind pick up to 12 mph, and it’s back to poor.

Saturday and Sunday (Sept 19-20) hold around 2ft to 3ft, with the energy climbing to 462 on Sunday morning—that’s actually solid wave energy for this spot. But again, the wind is cross-on or onshore, and both days are rated poor. Monday September 21st afternoon sees the biggest combined energy of the whole run at 538 (moderate-strong), with a 3ft SW swell and 17-second period, and the wind is onshore from the SW at 6 mph. Still, the wave comment says "poor."

After that, Tuesday September 23rd through the end of the month is a slow fade. Swell stays tiny (2ft to 3ft), periods drop to 12-16 seconds, and the wind never really cleans up. The last few days, Sept 26-28, see a bit of an energy bump (up to 485) but with a 2ft wave and a 20-second period—that long period on a beach break means it's going to close out fast. The water’s still warm, but the surf just isn’t there.

Honestly, there’s no standout day here. If you’re desperate, Friday morning Sept 18th and Monday afternoon Sept 21st are the least bad options—still marginal. The consistent long period groundswell would normally be a plus, but without size and clean wind, it’s all frustration. For beginners, the small size (under 5ft) is fine, but the chop and cross-wind will make it tough. For experts, there's just no power to play with.

This is a tough stretch for 56th St. It’s not often we get a blank run like this, but forecasts can change, so don’t lose hope entirely.

Rusty.

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