48th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's talk surf, my friends. Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you – we're looking at a rough patch for the next couple weeks, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Honestly, the first seven to ten days are a total bust for any proper paddle surfing. The swell is tiny, the energy is pitiful – you'll see the combined energy numbers stuck in the double digits or just barely over a hundred. That's a tell-tale sign of a flat spell. This kind of blank run is pretty normal for the area, so don't throw your board in the trash just yet.

The only break in the mix is 48th Street. It's a beach and jetty spot, exposed to the southeast, and it's pretty consistent, which is a plus. Water temperature is about what you'd expect for this time of year.

Let's break it down. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are complete write-offs – knee-high dribble with lousy onshore and side-shore winds. Don't bother. Friday morning the 4th has a clean offshore breeze from the WSW, which is a nice sight, but the waves are a puny 2ft from the south with a 6-second period. There's just no energy there (53 combined energy). Friday afternoon goes glassy, but the swell drops to 1ft. The rest of that first weekend and into the next week is the same story: tiny swell, odd directions, and short periods, even when the wind is clean. It's a flat, pretty ocean.

We finally get a flicker of hope on Monday the 7th morning – 3ft from the east-northeast with a 9-second period and glassy conditions. The combined energy is a more moderate 148. That's the best session in that first week, but it's still pretty average. Then it fades away again for another several days, with energy dropping to almost nothing.

Now, here's the promise. After a long, dry spell, things pick up around Tuesday, September 15th in the afternoon. We get a clean 4ft swell from the northeast. The period is short at 5 seconds, but it's a sign of life.

The real standout is Wednesday, September 16th morning. The forecast shows a solid 4ft from the east-northeast with a light WNW wind, so it'll be clean and cross-offshore. The combined energy jumps to a strong 290. That's your best bet of the whole outlook. It's a great size for an intermediate surfer. The short period of 7 seconds means it won't be the most powerful or well-shaped wave at this beach break, but it'll be the most fun we've seen.

Then things get serious for Thursday, September 17th morning. We're looking at a 7ft swell from the east with a 6-second period and a clean offshore wind from the west. The combined energy is cranked up to 328. That's the biggest swell of the window, and it will be powerful and dumpy. That size and short period is strictly for experts only. Beginners, stay on the sand. The direction (east) isn't perfect for this spot (which likes SE), but there'll be plenty of closeout barrels for the guys who can handle it.

So, the plan is simple: wait. It's flat for nearly two weeks. You're aiming for Wednesday the 16th for the fun, clean session, and Thursday the 17th for the big, expert-only waves.

Keep your chin up, and I'll be out there.

Rusty.

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