Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what's on the table for Rockaway over the next two weeks.

Straight up, the first few days are a total bust. The wind is a stubborn cross-onshore breeze, blowing at 9 to 15 mph, and it's making a mess of things. The swell is there, but it's small, around 3 to 3 feet, and the conditions are just poor. The combined wave energy is moderate, scoring around 812 to 830 (moderate energy), but the chop is a killer. You'd be fighting a losing battle.

Moving into the weekend of the 26th and 27th of July, the swell picks up a bit, hitting 3 to 4 feet from the SW with a long period of 18 to 19 seconds, and the energy climbs to a strong 1025 to 1296 (strong wave energy). But again, that cross-onshore wind is the main story. The morning of Monday the 27th is the best of a bad bunch, with a gentle breeze, but it's still onshore and the surf quality is 'unknown'. The rest of the weekend is a write-off.

The pattern shifts around the 29th of July. The swell direction swings to the NW and the period drops to a short 8 seconds. The size picks up to 7 to 8 feet, but with that short period and a persistent cross-onshore wind, it's going to be a choppy, messy wall of whitewater. The energy is moderate (747 to 946), but it's not the kind of surf you want to paddle into. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

For the first week of August, the swell stays in the 7 to 10 feet range from the NW, with a short period of 8 to 9 seconds. The wind is still predominantly cross-onshore, but the mornings see a light breeze. The real standout in this whole 16-day window is the morning of Tuesday, August 4th. We've got a solid 8 feet of NW swell with a moderate combined energy of 1009 (moderate to strong wave energy). The wind is a light cross-onshore from the WSW, which is the best it's been. It's still a marginal call, but it's the closest we'll get to a proper session. The afternoon of that day has a 10 feet NW swell, but the wind picks up to a moderate breeze, so it's strictly for the experts. The 10 feet mark is over 8 feet, so it's only for the big dogs.

The second week tails off quickly. By the 7th of August, the swell drops to 4 to 5 feet with a short period, and the wind goes cross-shore. The final day on the 8th of August is nothing but a dribble of 3 feet with a 7 second period and a combined energy of only 110 (weak wave energy). Not worth getting wet for.

So, to sum it up: this is a long, tough stretch. The one golden window is the morning of Tuesday, August 4th at Rockaway. Get that 8 feet NW swell, light cross-onshore breeze and a plan. The rest is a battle against the wind. Keep your eyes on the forecast, things can change, but for now, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

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