48th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me level with you straight up. This is a rough stretch for 48th Street. If you're looking for a wave over the next 16 days, you're gonna be disappointed. The whole 16-day window is a blank run for any decent surf. This is one of those times where the ocean just isn't cooperating, and it's a pretty normal thing for this area to get these long flat spells, so don't lose hope too much.

We start off on Tuesday, 28th July, with a tiny 1.3 ft wrap from the ESE, but it's a write-off straight away. There's a risk of thunderstorms and a 15.5 mph cross-off wind from the SSW that's just going to mess up the surface. The combined wave energy is a measly 33, so we're talking barely a bump. This isn't even a paddle, it's a floating session. The afternoon gets worse with a 3.9 ft swell from the S, but it's a 5-second period wind swell that's lumpy as hell with a 18.6 mph crosswind. The energy is still weak at 91.

Wednesday the 29th looks a little cleaner with a NNW wind up to 9.3 mph, giving us a clean surface, but the swell is still just 3.3 ft from the SSE with a 7-second period. The energy is still weak at 99. It's surfable but very ordinary, as the notes say. The afternoon sees a glassy window with a 3.1 mph offshore from the WNW, but the wave drops to 2.6 ft and the energy stays weak at 76. It's a lose-lose.

The rest of the week and into the next is a sad story. Thursday and Friday (30th & 31st July) have tiny 1.3 ft to 2 ft swells from the SSE, with the combined energy sitting in the 30s and 40s. The wind is light and sometimes glassy, but there's simply no water moving. Saturday and Sunday (1st & 2nd August) get a bit more wind, but it's onshore from the SE, making a mess of the beach with 1.3 ft to 2.6 ft slop, and the energy is still weak. The opening of August looks like a write-off for paddling.

There's a slight uptick in energy on Monday, 3rd August, with the combined energy breaking into three digits at 122 and 123, but it's attached to onshore winds from the E and ESE, and the swell is a short-period 5-second affair at 4.3 ft. The conditions are described as poor, so it's going to be a messy, choppy ocean. Honestly, with that wind and the short-period SE swell, it looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. The rest of the second week (4th to 12th August) is a continuation of the same: tiny swells, weak energy, and onshore or cross-shore winds. The waves barely push 1.6 ft, and the energy is mostly in the 20s and 30s. The only glassy moment is on Sunday, 9th August, afternoon, with a 1.3 ft swell from the ENE.

So, to sum it up: there is no standout session. There is no best day. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. But if you're a surfer, you're better off checking the forecast again in a few days. This is a true flat spell. Hang loose.

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