47th Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m looking at a pretty flat and quiet spell ahead. We’ve got a long gap of no real surf on offer for the first several days. The first hint of anything rideable doesn’t show up until the 21st of August, and even that’s pretty weak.

Let’s talk about 47th Street. It’s a beach and jetty setup, fairly exposed, and it needs the right direction. Water temp is sitting at about 78°F, which feels a touch warmer than usual for this time of year.

The first few days are a total write-off – tiny dribbles and onshore junk. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are barely a ripple, with an onshore breeze chopping it up. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th see a brief period of clean, offshore winds, but there’s literally no swell to work with – energy reading is zero. That’s a tough one.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th are clean with light winds, and we see a tiny swell trickle in from the SE, around 1.0 ft to 1 ft. The wave energy is weak, in the teens to low 40s (combined energy of all swells directed here 34 to 43). There’s a moment on Thursday afternoon where it goes glassy – that’s your only real chance for a clean, tiny wave, but it’s still poor surf conditions. Not one for the highlights reel.

The real action, if you want to call it that, picks up on the 21st of August. We get a bump from the ENE, pushing 3 ft, but the period is a short 5 seconds – that’s windswell, and it’s coming in with a cross-onshore breeze. Energy climbs to the 48-59 range. It’s a bit lumpy and choppy, but for a beach break that’s been dead, it’s at least something to paddle for.

The 22nd and 23rd of August are similar – swell around 3 ft to 3 ft from the east, with that short 5-6 second period and an onshore wind. The wave energy is moderate, hitting the 60s and 70s (combined energy of all swells directed here 71 on the 22nd morning). But with an onshore wind and short period, it’s going to be a bit of a mess.

After that, it fades back down to tiny, clean-looking conditions on the 24th and 25th, but the swell drops to just 1.0 ft. The period gets a bit longer – up to 12 seconds – which is a groundswell signal, but there’s just not enough size. The 26th through the 29th stay small, with onshore winds returning. The energy rarely gets above 60.

The last day on the 30th of August sees another pulse of east windswell, up to 4 ft, but again it’s short period (6 seconds) and a solid onshore wind at 16 mph. Energy is in the 50-74 range. It’s going to be choppy and probably more fun for the kite crew than a traditional paddle session.

The one true standout? I’d say the late morning and afternoon on Thursday, 20th of August is your best bet. The swell is tiny at 1 ft, but it’s glassy, clean, and the direction is from the SE. The period is a short 8 seconds, so the wave shape won’t be anything special, but if you just want to get wet on a clean board, that’s your window.

Rusty.

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