Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Rockaway. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. The first week and a half is pretty ordinary, with a lot of poor conditions and marginal surf. The real standout that’s worth getting excited about is further down the track, but we have to wade through some average days first.

For Tuesday morning, August 4th, we’ve got clear skies and a gentle cross-shore breeze. The swell’s coming from the NW at 5 ft with a period of 9 seconds, which is a solid short-period windswell. The water temperature is sitting at 61°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice little bonus. However, the forecast is saying the surf is questionable with the tide, and the combined wave energy is moderate (383). The afternoon gets worse, turning poor and choppy. The rest of the week stays in this rough pattern.

Wednesday morning, August 5th, the swell drops right back to 3 ft, but it’s still cross-shore wind. It’s marginal at best. Thursday and Friday are a real write-off, with tiny 2 ft swells and cross-onshore winds creating chop. The energy is weak (108 to 172). Saturday, August 8th, sees a slight bump up to 4 ft from the NW, but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy, so not a good look.

Now, Sunday, August 9th, is where things start to get interesting. The swell jumps to 7 ft from the NW in the morning, and the combined energy kicks up to strong (607). The afternoon sees it peak at 7 ft with energy hitting very strong (1420). The problem is the wind is cross-onshore and gets up to a moderate breeze, so the surface is going to be choppy. This is expert territory – 7 ft is too big for beginners – but the wind is going to spoil it.

Monday, August 10th, and Tuesday, August 11th, keep the swell solid at over 7 ft from the NW, but again, the wind is cross-shore at best and cross-onshore in the afternoons, making it messy. The energy is strong (645 to 905) in the mornings, but the quality isn’t there.

There’s a gap of a few days of tiny, poor surf from Wednesday, August 13th, through to Saturday, August 16th, with swells barely reaching 2 ft from the SW. The period gets long (up to 19 seconds) but with no size, it’s not doing anything.

The absolute best chance of a decent wave comes on Monday, August 17th. The morning session is the standout. We’re looking at a clean, cross-offshore wind with a 4 ft swell from the NW. The period is a short 8 seconds, but the conditions will be clean and the combined energy is moderate (274). The forecast actually says “expect good surf conditions,” which is a rare bit of good news in this run. The afternoon gets a bit more cross-shore and choppy, so hit it early. Tuesday, August 18th, is similar with cross-shore winds and marginal conditions, but Wednesday, August 19th, the wind goes fully offshore from the NW for the morning with 4 ft swell. That could be clean but the forecast suggests it’s marginal with the tide.

So, to be straight with you, the pick of the 16 days is the morning of Monday, August 17th at Rockaway. It’s a strike of clean conditions with that cross-offshore wind and a rideable 4 ft NW swell. The crowds are possible there, so you’ll have some company for that one. Everything else in this run is either too small, too windy, or too messy to get excited about.

Stay patient, and don’t sell the farm for anything until that 17th.

Rusty.

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