48th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for 48th Street. I’ve gotta be straight with you – this is a pretty quiet stretch ahead. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first few days are a real non-starter, so don’t bother waxing up just yet.

We’re kicking off on Monday, August 17th, with a tiny 3ft S swell out of a short 6-second period. The combined wave energy is weak (41), and while the morning has a bit of a breeze, the water is a touch warmer than normal at 78°F – that’s about 3°F warmer than usual for this time of year. Still, the surf is just poor. The afternoon goes glassy, but the swell drops to 2ft. Nothing to write home about.

Tuesday and Wednesday are more of the same – small, weak, and messy. Swell heights hover around 1ft to 2ft, and we’re dealing with cross-shore and cross-onshore winds that keep things choppy. The energy stays in the 40s, which is just flatlining. Thursday the 20th is glassy again, but the swell is a pathetic 1ft. You could paddle a longboard around, but you’re not catching anything.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd sees a little uptick. Saturday morning has a 0.7ft, 13-second period ESE swell – that’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s so small it’s basically a ripple. The winds are clean, cross-offshore, but the energy is still weak (44). Sunday the 23rd finally shows a pulse: 2ft from the S at 6 seconds, with cleaner cross-off winds. The energy creeps up to 52 and the conditions are described as "surfable but very ordinary." That’s the best we’ve got by a long shot, but it’s still modest. The water is still a touch warm.

After that, we hit a big gap. From Monday the 24th right through to the end of the month, the surf is consistently poor. There’s a bit of a spike on Tuesday the 25th afternoon with a 5ft S swell (187 energy), but it arrives with a cross-onshore breeze that chops it up. Then from the 26th into the 28th, we see the energy jump into the 200s and even 500s – that’s strong wave energy (528 on the 28th morning) – but the wind is howling onshore at 15 to 21 mph. The swell is 4ft from the ESE with a 13-second period, which is a nice groundswell, but the wind is just ruining it. This is a classic case of a messy, blown-out beach setup. Honestly, this stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The last day of the month, Sunday the 30th, offers a 5ft E swell with 8-second period and moderate energy (305). The wind is cross-shore, so there’s a cross-chop. It’s marginal, but it’s the closest thing to a rideable day. Then we drift into September with the same tiny, weak stuff.

So, for the standout? If I’m being honest, there’s no true standout here. The only window that’s worth a mention is Sunday, August 23rd, with a clean 2ft S swell and cross-offshore winds. It’s small, but it’s the cleanest wave we’ll see. If you need a fix, that’s your morning. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too far out to trust. The forecast for the second week – especially the 28th with that big energy – is promising in size but uncertain in quality due to the wind.

This is a tough stretch. A blank run like this is more normal for the area, but forecasts can change. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Read more