55th Street Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for the local area.

Truth be told, it's a bit of a flat spell. The entire 16-day window is looking like a write-off for any decent waves. We're looking at a solid stretch from now, right through the first week and into the second, where the surf just isn't there. There are no standout sessions, no real windows of opportunity. The swell is tiny, the energy is weak, and the conditions just aren't coming together.

Let's break it down. Starting off Sunday the 6th, we've got minimal east swell around 1 ft to 1 ft with a short, weak period of 6 to 7 seconds. Combined energy is only 13 to 16, so barely a ripple. Wind is onshore or cross-onshore, so it's just choppy and messy. Monday the 7th sees a slight bump in period to 10 seconds, giving us a combined energy of 52, but the swell height is still only 2 ft. The wind is light cross-onshore, so there's some texture on the surface, but the wave size just isn't there to make it worthwhile.

Through the rest of the first week, from Tuesday the 8th right through to Friday the 11th, the swell drops even further. Heights fall to 0.3 ft to 1 ft. The wind does turn cross-offshore and even glassy at times on Friday afternoon, so the water would be clean, but there's just no swell to push through. You'd be bobbing around on a lake. The combined energy values are in the single digits and low teens – that tells you everything.

The second week isn't any kinder. Saturday the 12th sees a tiny bump to 2 ft from the northeast, but the period is a shocking 4 to 5 seconds, meaning it's just wind chop. Energy is still very low at 23 to 37. The next week continues the same story: small, weak swell, often with onshore or cross-onshore winds. Even by Monday the 21st, with glassy conditions in the morning, the swell is only 1 ft with a combined energy of 14.

The only real change comes on Thursday the 17th of September. We get a pulse of swell up to 4 ft from the east-northeast, with a combined energy of 90. That's the biggest energy reading of the entire period. But the period is a weak 6 seconds, and the wind is a fresh cross-shore or cross-onshore, creating lumpy, choppy conditions. It's a poor surf setup. At 4 ft it's not too big for a beginner, but the quality is so poor it wouldn't be fun for anyone.

So, for 55th Street Pier, it's a long, flat, quiet outlook. There's just nothing to get excited about. The water temp is running much warmer than normal at 78°, which is nice for a paddle, but not for a surf.

Hang in there, folks. Forecasts change.

Rusty.

Read more