Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a bit of a grind. The forecast is trying to offer up some sizeable swell, but the wind is just not playing ball for most of the run. It’s mostly a cross or cross-onshore mess, and that’s going to keep things choppy and uninviting. For a spot like Rockaway, that’s a real shame. There're some bigger pulses forecast, but they come with a side of wind that kills the quality.

The first record we’ve got is for Friday the 3rd of July. The morning looks like the cleanest we’ll see for a while with clear skies and a gentle cross-shore breeze from the SW. The swell is a modest 5ft from the NW with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is 442 – moderate stuff. It's not going to be a total washout, but it's marginal at best. There’s gonna be a slight cross-chop on it, though, so don't expect perfection. By the afternoon, the wind picks up to 12 mph from the WSW, and the conditions go downhill fast.

Honestly, the next few days after that are pretty grim. Saturday (4th) through to Wednesday morning (8th) are all either "poor" or "marginal" with that persistent cross and cross-onshore wind ruining any chance of clean lines. Sunday afternoon the 5th sees a weird drop in swell size to just 2ft, but the period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy, however, is still a moderate 561. That long period will make it tricky at a beach break like Rockaway; it might just break too straight, so keep that in mind. The wind shifts to a moderate cross-shore, but the swell's just too small to get excited about.

Now, we start to see the size build again. Wednesday the 8th morning sees a 3ft SW swell with a 17-second period, and the energy jumps to 1002 – that's strong. The wind is a light cross-onshore with a light breeze, which is a slight improvement, but still, the score is marginal. This pattern of bigger swell and poor wind continues right through the second week. We get a significant pulse on Thursday the 9th with 8ft from the NW, 8-second period and energy up at 1206. That's strong energy, but 8ft is getting big for beginners, and with a moderate cross-onshore wind, it's going to be a washing machine. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.

The rest of the week leading up to the 16th is more of the same: decent size (5ft to 7ft), but always with that bloody cross-onshore wind. The long-range window around the 17th and 18th of July sees the swell drop back to 2ft – 2ft, with long periods (16-18 seconds) and strong energy again (543-535). The wind looks lighter on the 18th, but the swell's tiny.

If I had to pick a standout, it’s a toss-up between two sessions, and they’re both a compromise. The Friday morning, 3rd of July is probably the most user-friendly with a clean-ish 5ft and gentle breeze, but it’s hardly pumping. The Wednesday morning, 8th of July has the energy (1002) and a better swell direction from the SW that matches the optimum for Rockaway (NW), and the wind is only a light cross-onshore. That’s probably the best on offer, but it's still a "marginal" call. If you can handle a bit of texture on the face, paddle out then.

Otherwise, you’re looking at a long blank run through the middle of the month. It’s the kind of pattern where we just wait for a proper change. Forecasts can shift, so keep an eye on it, but don't pin your hopes on the next two weeks being stellar.

Rusty.

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