48th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what's on offer for 48th Street over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, this is a grim outlook. The whole 16-day window is basically a write-off for a decent paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell that’s never going to get the bank working properly. For the first week, from the 25th of August right through to the 3rd of September, you’re looking at nothing but poor surf conditions. The swell barely hits 2ft, the combined energy is mostly a pathetic 30 to 70 and the winds are a mixed bag of cross and onshore junk. It’s just not worth getting wet.

There is a brief moment around Friday the 4th of September where the swell tries to show up, bumping up to 5ft in the morning and 6ft by the afternoon with a combined energy of 205 to 233. That’s a moderate amount of energy, but the direction is from the E and ESE, which is cross to cross-off for the setup. The real killer is the period: only 6 seconds. That’s short period windswell, not the long lines you want. On a beach and jetty setup, that steep, short stuff is going to be a closeout mess. The wind is 12-15 mph from the S, which is cross-shore with a cross-chop. Honestly, this window looks way more interesting for a kite than a paddle. Beginners should stay well clear – 6ft with that wind and period is no good for learning.

After that little flurry, it all falls away again. The second week settles back into the same pattern of tiny 2ft to 3ft swell and messy wind.

Water temp on the first day we looked at, the 25th, is 78°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for late August. That’s something, but not enough to save the surf.

So, there’s no standout day here. No top pick. Nothing to get excited about. It’s a blank run that feels pretty normal for this area when the pattern shuts down. Keep an eye on the long-range though – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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