56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, it’s a pretty quiet stretch ahead. We’ve got small, cleanish waves on a few mornings, but nothing that’s going to get the heart racing. The swell direction is consistently from the southwest, which is the optimum direction for 56th St, but the size is tiny and the period is mostly long, so it’s not producing any real push. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no crazy warm or cold anomalies to talk about.

The outlook starts from now, Tuesday 15th September. The swell is small, 2 ft at 16 seconds from the SW on Tuesday morning, but the wind is cross-on from the south at 9 mph and it’s choppy. Scores are zero. The wave energy sits in the moderate range (172), but honestly, the “poor surf” label says it all. Tuesday afternoon is even smaller and onshore.

Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th show slight improvements in swell height, up to 3 ft on Thursday morning from the SSW at 16 seconds, with a light breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The cross-on wind gives a light ripple, and the wave energy climbs to 425. The commentary calls it “marginal” – a one out of ten. Still, that Thursday morning is the closest to a session you’d consider if you were desperate and the tide was right. It’s a beach break, sheltered, and the very long period (16 seconds) will make it a bit wonky and straight – better for a longboard than a thruster.

From Friday the 18th right through to the end of the month, we’re looking at a long gap of poor to marginal conditions. The swell stays stuck around 2 ft to 3 ft, with cross-on winds most days. Friday morning has the swell pushing 2 ft from the SW but a 19-second period and onshore wind, giving zero score. Sunday the 20th morning has the highest wave energy at 481, with 3 ft from the SW at 18 seconds, but again, cross-on wind from the south at 9 mph makes it choppy.

The second week, from the 23rd of September right through to the 30th, is similar. Small swell, 2 ft to 3 ft, mostly 12–17 second periods, and persistent cross-on winds. Wave energy drops to as low as 183 towards the 27th. The morning of Tuesday 29th September has a tiny bit of hope with a 3 mph cross-on from the SW and a 17-second period, but the swell is only 2 ft. It’s still a zero on the scorecard.

The best on offer – and I’m stretching here – is Thursday morning, 17th September. That’s the only session with a score of 1 out of 10, with 3 ft of SSW swell at 16 seconds, a light cross-on WSW breeze at 6 mph, and moderate wave energy (425). It’s small, it’s wonky with that long period, and the crowd factor is “sometimes” – so you might find a few locals out. Beginners could manage it, as it’s under 5 ft. For the rest of the 16-day window, you’re looking at a whole lot of nothing.

There’s really no standout in that second week – just rinse and repeat of poor conditions. The setup is small and cross-on, so it’s more suited for a kite session than a proper paddle session if the wind picks up.

Rusty.

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