55th Street Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at 55th Street Pier are a real test of patience. This is a beach/jetty setup, and for the vast majority of the 16-day window, the surf just isn’t happening. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly a ripple worth mentioning.

The water temp is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’ll feel nice while you’re staring at flat water.

For the first week and a half, from Monday August 17th right through to Saturday August 29th, it’s grim. The swell is tiny – we’re talking 0.3 ft to 2 ft if we’re lucky, and the combined energy is weak, often showing single-digit or low double-digit values (like 0, 3, 6, 14, 25). The wind is all over the place, mostly cross-off or glassy at times, but the ocean just isn’t delivering. It’s a whole lot of “poor surf conditions” with zero score. Even the glassy clean mornings on Thursday 20th and Saturday 22nd can’t save it because there’s nothing to surf.

Then, around the end of August, we see a pulse of energy. On Thursday 27th, swell builds to 2 ft to 3 ft from the SE with a period of 12-13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps into the moderate zone (192). But the wind is straight onshore from the east, blowing 16-19 mph, turning it into a messy, lumpy close-out. This is more kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing. Friday 28th pushes a bit more size – 3 ft to 4 ft from the SE (energy up to 398) – but again, cross-onshore winds ruin the shape.

The only real standout, and I mean the *only* one worth circling on your calendar, is Sunday morning, August 30th. We finally get a bit of magic. The swell picks up to 5 ft from the east, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 351 – moderate to strong. But the real winner is the wind: a clean offshore breeze from the SSW at 9 mph. That’s the kind of session that’ll make the wait worthwhile. The jetty might help focus that east swell, and with offshore winds, it could actually be fun. The crowd situation at 55th Street Pier is *sometimes* busy, so you might have some company. Keep in mind, 5 ft is a bit much for total beginners, but for intermediates it’s a solid option.

After that, it drops off again. Late Sunday and into September, the swell fades fast, and we’re back to tiny, weak waves with onshore or cross-shore winds. The long-range stuff from the 1st of September is just not worth getting excited about – it’s a flat finish.

So, bottom line: you’ve got a long stretch of nothing, then a narrow window on Sunday morning the 30th that looks promising. Don’t miss it, because after that, it’s back to the waiting game.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the forecasts – they can change.

Rusty.

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