56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down in feet and Fahrenheit.

First up, I’m looking at 56th St. This is a sheltered spot, mostly holding onto that S to SSW swell, and the water’s sitting at 72° – that’s a whopping 6° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s very unusual. You’ll be feeling like you’re in the tropics.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. Thursday morning the 30th of July is our first real chance. We’re looking at a 4ft swell from the south, with a period of 14 seconds – that’s a solid groundswell. The combined energy is moderate at 730. The wind is a light cross-on from the WSW at 6 mph, so it’s rideable but a little textured. This is the best we’ve got in the whole window by a long shot. The swell direction is a good match for the break’s preference for SW, so it’s worth a paddle. Just know that crowds are sometimes an issue here.

After that, it’s a real bummer. From Thursday afternoon all the way through to the end of the forecast on the 14th of August, the surf drops off hard. Every single session is marked as poor. The swell drops to 1ft to 3ft, and while the wind is often light or onshore, there’s just no energy to work with. The combined energy reading drops to 94 at one point, which is weak. Even the longer period swells that pop up in the second week – like the 19-second period on the 7th and 11th – don’t save it because the height is too small to do anything with. It’s a long stretch of flatness.

So, if you’re keen, the only real window is Thursday morning the 30th. It’s not a world-beater, but it’s the standout. The rest of the 16 days, you’re looking at a gap of nearly two weeks with nothing worth chasing. The conditions are flat, and the small bumps we get are just too weak to get excited about. For a beach setup like this, that’s a tough run.

Rusty.

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