92nd Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for our stretch of coast.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking flat and frustrating. There’s just no real push of swell to get excited about. The first report I’ve got is for Tuesday the 18th at 92nd Street, and honestly, it’s a no-go from the start—tiny 2ft swell from the SSE, short period of 7 seconds, combined energy of only 42 (weak), and onshore wind from the S at 9 mph. That’s poor conditions, plain and simple.

Wednesday the 19th is not much better. We see a little 2ft swell from the SE in the morning with the period dropping to 6 seconds, combined energy a measly 30 (weak). The wind is light from the W at 3 mph, which might sound okay, but with such a weak, short-period swell, it’s still just poor. The afternoon brings a stronger SSW wind at 12 mph, cross-on, and choppy.

Thursday the 20th morning actually gives us a glimmer. The wind swings to a light offshore from the NNW at 9 mph, and the swell from the SE has a bit more period at 9 seconds. It’s still only 2ft, combined energy 41 (weak), but the forecast calls it *surfable waves but very ordinary conditions*. That’s the best we’ve seen, but it’s not a standout by any stretch. The afternoon goes glassy with the SSE wind dropping to zero, but the swell drops to 1ft—too small to do anything with.

The rest of that week and into the next is a long, drawn-out gap of weak, short-period swells and cross-on or onshore winds. Friday the 21st, Saturday the 22nd, Sunday the 23rd—all poor, all under 2ft, with winds that ruin any chance of a clean wave. The combined energy stays under 100 (weak). This is a real dry spell.

We finally see something a little different on Monday the 24th. The morning is glassy, wind from the W at 0 mph, with a 2ft swell from the SSE, period of 6 seconds, combined energy at 56 (weak). Again, *surfable waves but very ordinary*. The afternoon has a light cross-off wind from the W at 6 mph and a similar 2ft swell, combined energy 73 (weak). It’s clean, but don’t expect much power.

Then we hit another dead patch. Tuesday the 25th through to the end of the month it’s all tiny surf—0.3ft to 1ft—and mostly onshore or cross-shore wind. The period on the 26th and 27th stretches to 11 seconds and even 16 seconds, but with that little height, it’s just a ripple. The water temp on the 18th was 75° with a 2° anomaly, so a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

The only other blip comes right at the start of September. On Monday the 1st of September, the morning has a 2ft swell from the SE, period of 7 seconds, but the wind is a clean cross-off from the NNE at 9 mph, combined energy 59 (weak). The afternoon actually kicks up a little: 4ft from the SE, period 7 seconds, combined energy jumps to 106 (moderate), and the wind is light from the NE at 6 mph, also cross-off and clean. The forecast says *surfable waves but very ordinary conditions* again.

That’s the only period where the wave energy gets into triple digits, and 4ft with a clean wind is worth a look for a longboard or a mini-mal. But it’s still a short-period, weak energy swell—not something to drive for.

After that, Wednesday the 2nd of September shows 3ft to 4ft from the SE again, but the wind is onshore from the SSE at 9 mph or cross-shore from the E, and the combined energy gets up to 202 (moderate) in the afternoon. Still, the wind is poor, and the forecast calls it *poor surf conditions*.

So here’s the honest take: there is no true standout in this 16-day window. The best we’ve got is the afternoon of Monday the 1st of September, with 4ft of SE swell and clean cross-off wind. That’s the one to pencil in if you’re desperate for a paddle, but keep expectations low.

This is Rusty. Stay patient—it won’t stay flat forever.

Read more