92nd Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s on the table for Ninety-Second Street (Breakwater). It’s a stretch, to be honest.

The next week is flat and grim. We’re looking at a solid run of small, weak, and messy conditions with barely any wave energy to get excited about. The combined energy readings are all down in the 30s and 40s (weak), with the odd bump, but the wave comment is "poor surf conditions" across the board. Most of it is either cross-on or onshore, which will chop things up. There are a few clean early mornings, like Friday the 23rd and Monday the 26th, but the swell is only 1.0ft to 2ft with short periods – not enough to make it worthwhile.

The water temperature is 76° here, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’s nice for a float.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, a real change in the air. Saturday the 29th of August finally flashes a sign of life. The morning session has a glassy calm and a little bump in energy with a combined energy of 142 (moderate), a 3ft swell from the SSE with an 8-second period. The comment shifts to "surfable waves but very ordinary" – that’s the best we’ve got for the whole run, but the wind is glassy. This is the one wave in the entire 16-day window that’s even remotely worth paddling out for. It's a beginner spot anyway, so this small clean one will be your best bet.

Then we jump past the first of September. The overnight into Wednesday the 2nd of September shows a pulse of energy jumping to 326 (strong) with a 5ft ESE swell, but the wind is onshore and the conditions are poor. Thursday the 3rd of September is the real standout. Morning has a cross-offshore breeze from the North (9 mph) and a clean 3ft ESE swell with 206 combined energy (strong). The afternoon is even better: glassy winds and a 4ft ESE swell, period of 9 seconds, and a combined energy of 202 (strong). The guidance says "expect good surf conditions." That Thursday is the best on offer by a long shot. The swell direction from the ESE is right on the optimum for this break, and the winds will clean the face right up. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.

For a beginner spot, the 4ft is just right, but anything over 5ft is a bit much. There is a 5ft ESE on the Wednesday morning before that, but with a rainy onshore wind, it’ll be messy.

So, to sum it up: If you’re desperate, paddle out on the morning of the 29th of August for a tiny glassy roll. The real call to action is Thursday the 3rd of September – clean, chest-high groundswell, glassy or light offshore. Looks promising. There’s a gap of flatness from now until the 29th, so don't hold your breath till then.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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