Rockaway Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.57° N 73.85° W

Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 21 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rockaway sea temperature is
24.8° C
2.5° 

Rockaway surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Rockaway surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, E swell with 46 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with SE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rockaway this week:

The surf forecast for Rockaway over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Rockaway in the next 16 days are 0.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2PM (Fri 28th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 10s
Best Surf 2PM (Fri 28th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 10s
Most Powerful11PM (Fri 21st Aug)2.5ft (0.7m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rockaway over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's get real about Rockaway. I've looked at the charts for the next 16 days, and I gotta be straight with you—it's a tough stretch. The water is sitting at 77°F right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't need a thick wetsuit.

The problem is, we're looking at a long, flat spell. The first real recommendation doesn't pop up until a week from now, on Saturday the 29th of August. Before that, from now through Friday the 28th, it's all poor surf conditions with tiny, weak waves. The combined energy is just a whisper, mostly in the 20s and 30s (30), which is barely enough to move a sea lion. The swell is mostly from the east, short period stuff under 8 seconds, meaning it's just wind slop, and the winds are often cross-on or onshore, making it a mess. For a few days around Tuesday the 25th, we get some clean offshore winds from the NW, but the swell is only 1.0ft with a period of 11 seconds—it's just too small to do anything with.

So, the best of a bad bunch starts on Saturday morning, August 29th. Rockaway will see a little pulse of 2ft swell from the SE, with an 8-second period. The combined energy creeps up to 44, which is still weak. The morning has a nice cross-offshore wind from the north, so it'll be clean. But the real standout window is Saturday afternoon, August 29th. The wind goes glassy from the west, and you'll have those tiny 2ft waves with absolutely no wind chop. It's going to be clean as a whistle, but you'll be working for every ride. The swell direction is from the SE, which isn't the optimal SSE for this spot, so it's a bit of a compromise.

Sunday the 30th morning is also clean with a light cross-offshore breeze, showing the same 2ft swell (48). That's about it for the whole 16 days. After that, the forecast goes back to small, choppy, and onshore junk. The combined energy drops to as low as 10 (10) by Monday the 31st, with winds gusting up to 22 mph from the south. It's a bleak run.

If you're desperate for a paddle, go Saturday afternoon for the glassy conditions, but don't expect much. If the swell was bigger, this setup would be interesting for kite surfers, but for now, it's just a waiting game. It tends not to stay this poor for long, but this run is a blank one.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 19°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
SE
9
0.5
E
6
0.6
E
7
0.5
E
6
0.4
E
6
0.5
ESE
4
0.5
E
4
0.2
ESE
12
0.7
SSE
6
0.6
SSE
6
0.4
SSE
7
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
10
0.3
SE
9
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
10
0.3
SE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
13
18
32
19
11
7
8
14
27
25
15
19
18
18
18
18
15
13
9
14
13
Wind (km/h)
25
NNE
15
E
10
NE
10
E
10
SSE
15
SE
15
SW
20
W
25
WSW
20
WSW
15
SW
20
WNW
25
WNW
20
NW
10
N
5
SE
20
SSE
15
S
15
SE
20
SE
5
SSE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-on
on
on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
off
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
High Tide
2:58PM1.38m
3:25AM1.09m
3:55PM1.38m
4:26AM1.11m
4:51PM1.42m
5:23AM1.17m
5:44PM1.48m
6:13AM1.24m
6:29PM1.54m
6:56AM1.33m
7:09PM1.59m
7:34AM1.41m
7:46PM1.62m
Low Tide
8:36AM0.37m
9:41PM0.35m
9:37AM0.37m
10:35PM0.31m
10:32AM0.33m
11:23PM0.25m
11:22AM0.28m
00:08AM0.18m
12:09PM0.22m
00:51AM0.11m
12:55PM0.16m
1:31AM0.04m
1:39PM0.12m
2:10AM-0.01m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:11
6:13
6:13
6:15
6:16
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:45
7:43
7:42
7:39
7:38
7:37
7:36
 mm
1
5
1
Temp °C
22
25
24
20
23
22
25
28
27
23
26
25
21
25
25
22
24
24
23
23
23
Feels °C
19
24
23
19
24
22
26
25
24
20
24
21
17
21
22
22
22
21
22
21
22
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Rockaway Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Rockaway provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rockaway can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rockaway surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Rockaway) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Rockaway may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Rockaway is 11 km (7 miles) from the city of East New York. If you plan a vacation in Long Island New York, look for hotels and other accommodation in East New York. East New York has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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