Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ll be straight with you—this is a tough stretch for Rockaway. The forecast is a long grind of onshore and cross-onshore winds, with the wind sitting mostly from the W to WNW, and that’s the problem. Over the next 16 days, there’s not a single session that looks clean. I’ve got nothing I can genuinely recommend as a standout. It’s one of those runs where it’s better to check back later.

Let’s talk about what we’re looking at. The first possible surf comes Thursday morning, July 9th, with 7ft of WNW swell at 8 seconds. That’s a short period, so it’s weak and lumpy. The combined energy is moderate (868), but the wind is a cross-on 9 mph from the W, so it’s choppy. Water temp is 62°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—over 5° above average, so that’s a real oddity, but it doesn’t help the surf quality.

That afternoon, the swell picks up to 7ft, but the wind goes nuts to 16 mph from the WNW, and it’s rated poor. Friday morning, July 10th, has 8ft NW swell with 9 seconds and moderate energy (1101), but again, cross-on wind at 12 mph. You’re looking at chop. Saturday and Sunday are similar—6ft to 6ft, all cross-on, and the scores are low. There’s a faint hope on Sunday morning, July 12th, with lighter wind at 6 mph from the WSW, but it’s still cross-on and the swell is weak.

The mid-week sees swell building again. Wednesday, July 15th, afternoon pushes 10ft from the NW with 8 seconds, and onshore wind at 16 mph. That’s big, but it’s messy and dangerous—only for experts if anyone’s crazy enough, and the period is short, so it’s walled up. The combined energy is strong (1204), but it’s a sloppy mess.

After that, the surf drops off. By Saturday, July 18th, we’re down to 2ft, but there’s a weirdly long period of 16 seconds from the WNW. That’s a groundswell, but it’s tiny and cross-on, so nearly nothing to ride. The energy is moderate (662), but it’s not enough to get excited about. That long period would be better at a point or reef, not a beach and reef setup like Rockaway—it’s going to break too straight and be inconsistent.

The rest of the second week stays small. Monday, July 20th, sees a bump to 4ft NW swell, but the wind is still cross-on, and it’s poor. The combined energy is weak (420). There’s a slight chance Thursday, July 23rd, with 6ft WNW swell, but the wind is from the W, still cross-on, and the period is a short 8 seconds. It’s marginal at best, but nothing to plan a session around.

Overall, this is a pretty blank run for Rockaway. The consistency is there, but the quality is not. The wind is your enemy, and the swell direction is never quite right for the break’s optimum from the NW. It’s the kind of setup that might look more interesting for kite surfing than paddling in, but I’m not here to guess. It tends not to stay poor for long, so keep an eye on the forecast—it can change.

Rusty.

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