Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let me break down what we’ve got coming.

Right now there’s nothing doing. The surf’s flat out ugly to start. We’ve got a gap of a few days before anything even gets interesting. The first hint of something worth paddling out for shows up around Wednesday, July 9th, but even then it’s more of a “maybe” than a go.

The early window is a write-off. Tuesday the 7th is all cross-onshore wind and poor quality. Wednesday the 8th is a mixed bag – morning has some swell but it’s still cross-onshore and messy. It’s not until Thursday the 9th that we start to see a pulse. The morning of the 9th has northwest swell around 8 ft at 9 seconds, and the combined swell energy is moderate (1083). But that cross-onshore breeze is still messing with it. It’s surfable but not clean.

Friday the 10th morning is where it gets a little more interesting. The swell is holding at 8 ft from the NW with a 9-second period, and the wind switches to a cross-shore flow. That’s a step up. Combined energy is still moderate (926), but the cleaner conditions make it a better bet. This is a standout window for the early part of the forecast. It’s still not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve seen.

The second half of the weekend and into the following week sees a gradual drop in size and more of the same choppy cross-onshore wind. It’s not terrible, but it’s not great either. The swell sticks around 5 ft to 7 ft through Monday July 13th and Tuesday July 14th, but the wind stays cross-onshore. You’ll get waves, but it’ll be a battle.

Then around Wednesday July 15th through Friday July 17th, the swell picks up again. Mornings especially look more promising. The morning of July 15th has 7 ft from the WNW at 8 seconds with gentle cross-onshore wind. Combined energy is moderate (670). It’s still not glassy, but it’s better than the afternoons. The morning of July 17th has 7 ft from the WNW at 9 seconds with light cross-onshore wind and combined energy of 1071 – that’s moderate to strong. That’s another real standout for the second week.

The last few days, from July 20th onward, we get some smaller south-west groundswell with longer periods (16 to 18 seconds) and that cross-shore wind. The water’s much warmer than normal – about 61°F, which is a notable 6°F above average for this time of year. That’s unusual.

Now, for the standout: Rockaway. It’s a beach and reef setup, consistent, exposed to NW swell, and the optimum swell direction is NW. During the morning of Friday July 10th, that’s the best early call. Good size, reasonable period, and cross-shore wind means cleaner waves than we’ve seen. Crowds are sometimes a problem here, so expect company.

For the second week, the morning of Thursday July 16th and Friday July 17th are your best shots. July 17th especially gives you solid 7 ft NW swell with light wind and strong energy. That’s worth a look.

Bottom line: the first few days are a wash, but from Friday July 10th onward there are windows. The real highlights are Friday morning July 10th and Friday morning July 17th. Get on it then. The rest is average to poor, but the swell never fully dies.

Rusty.

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