Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Rockaway.

First off, the water is sitting at 60°F, which is a lot warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s nearly 5°F warmer than average, so you can leave the thickest wetsuit at home.

To be brutally honest, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a struggle. There’s no real standout, surfable swell on offer for the first few days. We’ve got some NW swell showing up, but the wind is constantly messing it up – mostly cross or cross-onshore with a chop that’ll have you fighting the board more than riding it. The wave energy is moderate to strong in places (like the 182 mark on Saturday morning, up to over 1400 later in the week), but the quality just isn't there.

The first real brief window where it might be worth wetting a line is Sunday the 6th morning. The swell is a weak 3ft from the SW at 16 seconds – that’s a long period groundswell, which should offer some shape. The combined energy is strong at 702. The issue? The wind is cross-onshore and the surf is described as marginal. It’s not a write-off, but don't expect perfection.

The next glimmer is on Wednesday the 9th morning. Swell jumps to 8ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds, energy is cranking at 1412 – that’s strong wave energy, but the wind is still cross-onshore. That’s getting into expert-only territory at that size, and the onshore wind is going to make it a bumpy, tricky paddle. Not one for the faint-hearted.

Looking further out, Saturday the 12th morning is the most interesting of the lot. Swell is 6ft from the NW with 8-second period. The key thing here is the wind: for the first time, we see a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the SW at 12 mph. That’s the best wind call in the entire window. The wave energy is moderate at 412. The downside? Rockaway is an exposed beach and reef setup, and that short period NW swell can get a bit straight and lumpy. But with clean conditions, it’s the best bet for a few fun ones. Crowds are a possibility here, so get out early.

After that, we’re back into a long stretch of poor conditions with a mix of strong onshore winds and messy swell until the very end. Sunday the 19th has a tiny 2ft swell from the WNW with a long 16-second period, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore again. Not recommended.

Overall, if you really want to paddle out, pin your hopes on Saturday the 12th morning for a chance at clean surf, even if it’s not world-class. The rest of the 16-day window is a write-off for quality. For beginners, things get too big and choppy from the 9th onwards, and the wind never really plays ball for clean, easy waves.

Rusty.

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