56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, mates, Rusty here.

Let’s be straight with you—this outlook for the next couple of weeks is a bit of a tough one. The first real sniff of anything decent doesn’t pop up until Wednesday morning, July 22nd, and even then it’s a real low-key affair. We’ve got a gap of about three days with no real surf recommendations before that.

The first bright spot to mention is 56th St. Wednesday morning, July 22nd, sees a glassy, clean window with the wind going absolutely dead. Swell is a modest 3 ft out of the SSW, with a moderate combined energy (371). The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there. The period is a solid 15 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell—means the waves will have good shape and plenty of energy, but at a beach break like this, it can sometimes make them a bit too straight. Still, with glassy conditions, it’s your best bet for a quiet, clean paddle.

The outlook picks up a bit going into the following weekend. Saturday morning, July 26th, and Monday morning, July 27th, both offer marginal but surfable conditions. Swell ticks up to 3 ft and 4 ft, still from the SSW and SW, with long periods of 18-19 seconds, and combined energy creeping up (911 and 868). Light onshore winds will keep it from being perfect, but it’s rideable.

Now, the real standout in the long-range window is the last day of July and the first of August. Thursday, July 30th, shows a jump in size: 4 ft from the SSE, with a period of 15 seconds and energy hitting 1288. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s a little bumpy, but the swell is building. Friday, July 31st, is the big one—7 ft from the S, period 16 seconds, and energy screaming at 2344. That’s a strong, powerful swell, but it’s a raw one. The wind is cross-onshore and moderate by the afternoon, making it choppy and more suited to experienced surfers. At over 8 ft, this would be expert-only, but at 7 ft, it’s a solid challenge for intermediates and up. The morning of July 31st is the pick of the two days, with lighter winds.

Saturday, August 1st, holds on with 7 ft in the morning from the S, though the period drops to 13 seconds and the energy is still strong (1397). Light onshore winds again. By Sunday, August 2nd, it fades fast—back to 3 ft and weak energy (325), and the wind gets gusty. After that, it’s pretty much done.

So, overall, not a classic run. The one true standout is the morning of Friday, July 31st, with that big, powerful S swell and the potential for some meaty waves if you can handle the crowd that might show up at 56th St. The glassy Wednesday morning before that is a hidden gem for a quiet, clean session. Keep your expectations modest, and you’ll find a few nuggets.

Rusty.

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