47th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one. We’re looking at 47th Street (beach/jetty setup) and the next 16 days, and honestly, the pickings are slim. The whole stretch is a flat spell with barely a ripple to get excited about.

We kick off Friday, July 24th, with tiny 1ft SE windswell and a short period of 8 seconds. The wind is onshore from the ENE at 9 mph, making it messy. The combined wave energy is a weak 20, and it’s labelled as poor surf. Not a single fin to be wet.

That flat, poor pattern hangs around through the weekend. Saturday the 25th sees a bump to 2ft from the ESE, but the period drops to a pathetic 7 seconds, and the wind is onshore at 12 mph. The energy is still weak (87). Sunday the 26th is similar – 2ft, onshore wind, no good.

We get a brief glimmer of hope on the morning of Tuesday, July 28th. The swell is still only 3ft from the SE, but the wind swings light cross-offshore from the SSW at 6 mph. The energy is still weak (84), and the report calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It’s the best of a bad bunch, but that’s a low bar. The water is sitting at 76°, about a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re waiting for a wave.

Wednesday morning the 29th and Thursday the 30th offer clean conditions with light cross-offshore winds, but the swell is tiny and weak. It’s a classic case of “looks good but no power.”

After a long, flat run, we finally see a pulse on Saturday, August 1st. The afternoon brings a 5ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 6 seconds. The energy jumps to a moderate 228, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore from the south at 12 mph, creating a cross-chop. It’s still poor surf conditions for paddling – that short, choppy wall might actually be more interesting for a kite surfer than a surfer.

The second week is a write-off. Sunday the 2nd has a bit of size (4ft in the morning) but the wind is howling from the south at 16 mph. The rest of the days are tiny, weak, and flat. By August 8th, we’re down to 0.3ft swell with a 12-second period – that’s just a lake.

So, what’s the standout? Honestly, there isn’t one. If you’re desperate, the Tuesday morning (July 28th) session is the only time the conditions are even close to being clean, but the swell is too small to do much. The bigger pulse on August 1st is chopped up and short-period. This is a blank run. For this area, it’s not unusual to get a stretch like this. Forecasts change, but for now, leave the boards in the car and go for a walk.

Rusty.

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