48th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a seat. This is Rusty, and I’ve got the skinny on 48th Street. Straight up, this is a tough stretch. We’ve got a long, quiet run ahead.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a pretty flat and frustrating picture for 48th Street. The energy just isn't there. We’re talking about a combined swell energy that barely tickles 27 (that’s weak), and for most of the first week, it’s even lower. You’ll be waiting a long time for anything that’s even worth paddling out for.

For Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th, forget it. We’re looking at tiny 1ft SE windswell with a short 8 to 9-second period and a combined energy in the 20s. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 75°, but the surf is just poor. Saturday morning is glassy, but with no swell to ride, it doesn’t matter. The wind goes onshore and it gets messy.

Monday the 6th doesn’t get any better. The swell bumps up a tiny bit to 2ft but the period drops to a shocking 5 seconds. That’s pure wind chop, with a combined energy of only 38 to 39. It’s a mess.

We finally see a glimmer of hope on Tuesday morning, July 7th. The swell is still tiny at 3ft from the SSE with a 6-second period, but the combined energy climbs to a moderate 76. More importantly, we get a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the SW. The guide says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and that’s about right. You’ll find some crumbly little rollers, but it’s not going to be a classic. That’s your best bet in the first week, and it’s still a struggle.

After that, we hit another dead zone. From Wednesday the 8th through to Saturday the 12th, it’s all poor surf conditions with tiny swell and onshore or cross-shore winds. The combined energy stays in the 50s and 60s.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, July 12th, we get another brief, clean window. Swell picks up to 4ft from the East with a 6-second period and a combined energy of a moderate 92. The wind goes light from the SSW, making for clean conditions again. It’s another “surfable but very ordinary” call.

Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th keep that clean theme going with offshore and cross-offshore winds. The swell stays small, around 2ft to 3ft, but the energy on Tuesday afternoon actually hits a solid 104, which is the highest we see. The period is still short, though, at 8 seconds. For a beach break, this short-period, small swell with clean wind might be the most fun you’ll have all period. It’s not a standout, just the least bad option.

The second week drops off again. From Wednesday the 15th through to Sunday the 19th, we’re back to tiny swell, poor conditions, and energy values in the 20s, 40s, and 70s. There is a small window on Saturday afternoon the 18th with a 3ft SSE swell and clean cross-offshore wind, giving a combined energy of 82. It’s another “surfable but ordinary” moment.

Honestly, there are no true standouts here. The only real recommendation is to keep an eye on those clean windows around July 7th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. The waves will be small and weak, but the wind will be right. For the rest of it, you’re better off doing something else. The crowds here are “often,” which probably means a few other folks will be out for those same small windows.

This is a pretty typical blank run for a spot like this; it can stay poor for a while.

Rusty.

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