Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks at Rockaway.

Right off the bat, the outlook is pretty grim for the next week or so. We’ve got a long, dry spell of poor conditions starting now and running through to about the 19th of September. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Sunday the 20th. So, unless you’re desperate for a paddle in marginal slop, you’re better off waiting.

The water is currently sitting at 63°, which is 4° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a notable anomaly, so don’t expect the typical autumn chill just yet.

Let’s get into the one true standout.

The Best on Offer: Rockaway (beach and reef) – Sunday, September 20th Morning

This is the moment to be in the water. After days of onshore junk, we finally get a morning with glassy conditions, light NNE winds at 3 mph, and a clean 7ft swell rolling in from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy of all swells here is pumping at 882 – that’s strong wave energy. This is solid, powerful surf, pushing into the “expert only” territory at over 8ft, so it’s not for beginners. The swell direction is straight out of the NW, which is exactly what this spot wants to see, and the clean offshore wind is going to make for some beautiful, lined-up faces. Keep in mind that 8-second period isn’t super long, so it won’t have that drawn-out groundswell feel, but it’ll be punchy and fun. Crowds are possible here, so get there early.

The afternoon on the 20th drops off a bit as the wind swings cross-onshore from the WNW, so that morning window is the real deal.

The Rest of the Window

The following Monday, September 21st, still has some size around 7ft from the NW, and the morning has light cross-shore winds. The energy is even higher – 1077 – but the cross wind makes it a little less pristine than the Sunday glass-off. The period creeps up to 9 seconds. It’s worth a look, but Sunday is the standout.

Tuesday the 22nd fades a little more, with 5–5ft swell and cross-shore winds, and a period stretching to 11 seconds. That longer period will mean better-shaped waves at this beach-and-reef setup, but the energy is dropping back to moderate.

Summary: Suffer through the next week-and-a-half. The only truly good session is the morning of Sunday, September 20th. After that, Monday 21st is decent but not perfect. Everything else is either blown out, too small, or just plain messy. For the experts, that Sunday morning is a proper call.

Rusty.

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