55th Street Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve looked at what we’ve got here for 55th Street Pier. It’s a beach and jetty setup, fairly exposed to the swell, and it’s a consistent break for intermediate surfers.

Right out of the gate, I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window is not shaping up to be a classic. We’ve got a long, quiet stretch ahead. The first actual surf recommendation doesn’t even show up until the morning of Tuesday, July 7th, and even then, it’s a tough sell. For the first several days, the wave energy is just too weak and the wind is in the wrong place.

Let’s walk through it. Starting Tuesday, July 7th, we’ve got a small, weak swell coming in from the ENE. The waves are only about 3 to 3 feet, with a real short period of just 5–6 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell, so the waves are gonna be weak and crumbly. The wind is a cross-onshore breeze at 12 mph from the NNE and NE, which is just chopping everything up. The combined wave energy is low, like 71 (weak). Add in some light rain, and you’ve got a classic "stay in bed" day. The water temp is 76°F, which is a whopping 5°F warmer than usual – that’s some seriously weird, above-average water for this time of year. It’s nice for swimming, but not for surfing with these conditions.

The outlook stays pretty grim through Wednesday and Thursday, July 8th and 9th. The swell height stays under 3 feet, the period is short, and we’ve got cross-onshore winds all day. The wave energy bounces between 51 and 102 (weak to low-moderate), but it’s all just messy, choppy lines. Not worth paddling out.

Friday, July 10th, we finally see a bit of hope. The wind switches to a light offshore from the W at 9 mph in the morning and a cross-offshore from the WNW in the afternoon. That’s clean! But the swell is nothing to write home about – only 1 foot with a 7-second period. The energy is a weak 18–19. It’s clean, tiny, and gutless. A beginner might have fun on a foamie, but for anyone else, it’s a paddle with no payoff.

The weekend of July 11th and 12th is another wipeout. Swell drops to almost nothing (0.7 to 2 feet), period is short, and the wind goes back onshore or cross-onshore. The wave energy plummets to single digits and low teens.

The situation doesn’t really improve over the next week. From July 13th through July 22nd, the swell nearly disappears. We see some clean conditions with offshore winds around July 15th, 16th, and 17th, but the swell is tiny – 1 to 2 feet – with a short period. The wave energy stays in the weak range, mostly between 19 and 31. There’s one interesting moment on Saturday, July 18th: a 0.3-foot swell from the SE with a very long period of 14 seconds. That’s pure groundswell, but it’s way too small to do anything with, and it’s breaking straight at a beach break, which isn’t ideal for that long period.

Honestly, the whole second week is a bust. Between July 19th and the 22nd, the forecast shows days with zero wave energy. There’s a tiny pulse of 2 feet coming back on Tuesday, July 21st, but the wind is onshore, and it’s just not worth getting wet for. Another pulse on the 22nd with 3 feet and a 5-second period, but again, the wind is cross-onshore with rain.

So, what’s the best on offer? If you had to pick a moment, it would have to be the morning of Friday, July 10th. The offshore wind from the W will give you the cleanest surface you’ll see all period. But you’re surfing knee-high mush. It’s more of a "work on your pop-up" session than a "send it" session. For the rest of the forecast, this setup is honestly more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the combination of light swell and cross-shore wind.

It’s a flat run, lads. It happens. Forecasts can change, but for now, put the board in the rack and find something else to do for a couple of weeks.

- Rusty

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