Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's cut straight to it. We're looking at a pretty lean run for the Rockaway stretch. The next couple of weeks are mostly a write-off for getting anything decent, but there is a little window of hope if you're patient.

The water is sitting at 62°, which is way warmer than usual for the start of August – a solid 4° above normal, so you can ditch the thick wetsuit. For the first week, it's a real struggle. Swell is tiny or messy, and the wind is almost always putting a chop on things. We've got a long stretch, from Wednesday afternoon pretty much through the end of that first week (until the 10th), where there's just nothing worth paddling out for.

Rockaway is the only game in town, but it's not looking great for most of the run. The first real glimmer comes on Monday morning, the 10th. We've got a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the SSW and a chest-high 6ft swell with a decent 10-second period from the NW. The energy is strong (681), but the conditions are still only "marginal" so don't expect perfection. It'll be the best of a pretty average bunch, and with crowds listed as "sometimes," you might get some company.

The standout, and really the only one worth setting an alarm for, is Thursday morning, the 13th. The forecast is for "very good surf conditions," with clean lines from a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The swell drops a touch to 5ft from the NW, but the period is still solid at 10 seconds, and the energy is strong (553). This is the session to target. After that, it fades back into mediocrity for the rest of the 16-day window, with onshore winds and small, weak swell.

So, to sum it up: it's a dry spell for the most part. Don't bother until that Monday morning the 10th, and even then, keep your expectations low. The one to chase is Thursday the 13th. After that, it’s back to waiting.

Rusty.

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