55th Street Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here with the long-range look. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: the next week and a half is a test of patience. We got a lot of small, weak swell, and the wind is gonna be all over the shop. It ain’t pretty.

The first real chance of anything decent doesn’t roll in until Sunday, August 23rd. Even then, it’s just a slight bump. The energy is weak, and the conditions are just ordinary. We get some clean windows, but the waves are too small to get fired up about. The real standout window is Friday, August 28th. There’s a moderate pulse of energy, and the swell direction lines up perfect for 55th Street Pier. That’s the one to circle on the calendar, but it’s still not huge. It’s a long-range call, so treat it as promising, not a done deal.

Here’s the breakdown:

Friday, August 14th: Forget it. There's a whisper of a wave with a 0.2m ESE swell, but a storm risk and glassy conditions won't save it. The energy is weak (11), and it's just not happening.

Saturday, August 15th: A bit more size, up to 0.6m, but the period drops to 4 seconds, and the wind is onshore and choppy. This is messy. Not worth the paddle.

Sunday, August 16th: Same story. The swell bumps up to 0.9m but with a 4-second period and a strong cross-shore wind. It’s a choppy, cross-chop mess. The energy is still weak (33).

Monday, August 17th: The swell drops back down. There are some clean windows with offshore wind, but with only 0.2m to 0.3m on offer, it’s basically flat.

Tuesday, August 18th: A little more swell (0.5m), but it’s short-period, and the wind is all wrong, either cross-shore or onshore. Small and bumpy.

Wednesday, August 19th: The period stretches out to 10 seconds, which is nice, but the size is only 0.4m. There’s a clean window in the afternoon with that cross-offshore wind, but it’s not enough to get the heart racing. Energy is weak (38).

Thursday, August 20th: The swell picks up to a whole 1.0m (about 3ft). It’s still short-period (5 seconds), but we get a clean morning with offshore wind. This is the first time it might look semi-surfable, but it'll be soft and fat.

Friday, August 21st: Back to the small stuff, with an onshore breeze. Skip it.

Saturday, August 22nd: Small and bumpy. 0.8m (3ft) at 5 seconds with a cross-shore wind. Not great.

Sunday, August 23rd: At last, a glimmer. The morning has a 0.8m (3ft) ENE swell, moderate energy (81), and clean, offshore winds. It’s not going to win awards, but it’s the first time I’d actually get the board wet. The afternoon gets windy, so hit it early.

Monday, August 24th through Wednesday, August 26th: The swell drops back down to 0.2m to 0.4m (0.7ft to 1ft). There are some clean pockets, but it’s mostly tiny. A long-period swell (12 seconds) on Monday is a tease, but there’s no size behind it. This is a real lull.

Thursday, August 27th: The energy starts to build. We have a 0.5m (2ft) SE swell with a 13-second period, and the energy jumps to a moderate 89 in the afternoon. It’s still on the small side, but you can feel something is coming.

Friday, August 28th: This is the standout. The swell is still only 0.6m (2ft), but the direction is SE, which is right on the money for what 55th Street Pier likes. We’ve got a proper groundswell (10-11 seconds) and clean, cross-offshore winds in the morning. The combined energy is moderate (102-105), the strongest we’ve seen all period. It’s not big, but it has shape and push. This is the day to make plans for.

Saturday, August 29th: The swell backs down a touch to 0.7m (2ft), and the period shortens to 7 seconds. The afternoon is dead glassy with the wind going calm, which will keep the surface clean. It’s a fun little end to the run, but Friday was the better deal.

So there you have it. A long, dry spell broken up by a couple of small, clean windows, with the best surf arriving on Friday the 28th. It’s nothing for the history books, but there are waves to be had if you’re keen. Stay patient, and I’ll see you out there.

Rusty.

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