56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. I’m gonna level with you – the next 16 days are looking pretty bleak for the known spots. The only break showing any action is 56th St, and it’s a real struggle to find anything worth paddling out for.

The energy in the water is weak, sitting around 120 to 550 (combined energy), and for most of the time, it’s tiny, disorganized swell. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no worries there.

It starts off as a real dud. Monday, 17th August, through to Thursday, 20th August, the swell is small, just 1ft to 3ft, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, making for choppy, poor conditions. It’s a washout.

The first glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday, 19th August, in the morning. We get a glassy, clean window with the swell from the SSW at 3ft, period of 15 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, which means better shaped waves but with longer lulls between sets. The wind is light and glassy, so it’ll be smooth. But honestly, it’s still very ordinary – just surfable, nothing special. Not a standout by any stretch.

We then slip back into a long, dry spell. From Thursday, 20th August, all the way through to early Monday, 31st August, it’s the same story: tiny swell, mostly cross-onshore winds, and poor surf. There’s a stretch of several days with no real recommendations.

The next little flicker comes on Thursday, 27th August, in the morning. Again, a glassy window with light winds, but the swell is only 2ft. Still, it’s clean enough for a longboard if you’re desperate.

Then, on Friday, 28th August, the afternoon brings a bit of a change – a cross-offshore wind from the NE, which will clean things up. The swell is 2ft from the SSW, period of 16 seconds. It’s still very ordinary, but at least it’s clean.

The best of a bad bunch might be Saturday, 29th August, and Sunday, 30th August. The swell picks up a touch to 3ft from the SSW, with periods of 15-17 seconds, and the energy is moderate (455-480). But the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s a bit bumpy. The guidance says it’s marginal, and with the inconsistent nature of the spot, it’s not worth writing home about.

Looking further out to Tuesday, 1st September, the morning has 3ft from the SSW, period of 14 seconds, but again, the wind is cross-onshore, and it’s only marginal.

So, what’s the verdict? Honestly, there’s no true standout here. The only time you’d even consider it is the glassy windows on Wednesday, 19th August (morning), and Thursday, 27th August (morning), but even then, the swell is tiny. If you’re a beginner, anything over 5ft is too big, but that’s not the problem here – the problem is the lack of swell. For experts, there’s no punch at all.

This is a tough run for 56th St. It’s a sheltered spot, and it’s very consistent, but the swell just isn’t delivering. With such weak, short-period energy, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those windier days.

Keep your eyes on the forecasts, but for now, I’d say save your energy. It’s a long, flat spell.

Rusty.

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