Rockaway Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.57° N 73.85° W

Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rockaway sea temperature is
24.4° C
2.0° 

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


Rockaway surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, SSE swell with 78 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with SSE 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Rockaway in the next 16 days are 0.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be 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+) 2AM (Wed 26th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 6s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 26th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 6s
Most Powerful 2PM (Wed 26th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, I’m gonna level with you. I’ve been staring at the charts for Rockaway and honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a real struggle. There’s no standout session, no hidden gem, just a whole lot of “poor surf conditions” with no recommendations coming through. We’ve got a real blank run here.

The water is sitting at 76°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the ocean feels a bit bath-like, but that’s about the only positive.

Thursday morning, the 20th, starts with the tiniest of slop – 1ft of SE swell, only 9 seconds apart, and the combined energy is a weak 26. Glassy conditions thanks to a light SW wind, but honestly, there’s nothing to ride. This flatness continues through the weekend. Friday the 21st, we get a 2ft easterly windswell, but with a period of just 5 seconds, it’s just messy and weak. Saturday the 22nd, the swell direction shifts and bumps up to 3ft from the east, but the period is still a pathetic 5 seconds, and we’ve got 16 mph cross-shore winds making it choppy. Not surfable.

Sunday the 23rd morning offers a brief moment of clean conditions with a cross-offshore breeze from the WSW, but the swell is only 2ft from the SE, so it’s more of a paddle than a session. The afternoons all week are plagued by onshore winds or cross-shore chop.

We get a little glimmer on Monday the 24th – a clean, clear morning with a cross-offshore wind from the WNW, but the swell drops to 1ft. The period does jump to 12 seconds, so there’s a bit of long-period energy in the water, but it’s just not enough height to do anything with. The combined energy is only 38, so it’s weak. Monday afternoon the wind picks up to 19 mph, still clean, but same tiny swell.

The rest of the week, from the 25th to the 31st, is more of the same: tiny swells, poor periods, and onshore or cross-shore winds. The mornings of the 26th and 27th show a slight bump to 3ft, but the period drops to 6-7 seconds, so it’s just windswell mush with a combined energy of 76 and 59, respectively. Not worth a second look.

We finally see a change on the 4th of September, with a bigger swell arriving – 5ft to 5ft from the ESE and east, with periods of 7-8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 203 and 265, so there’s finally some moderate power. But the wind is onshore from the ESE at 12 mph, and the conditions are still classed as poor. The swell direction is from the SSE optimum, which is okay, but the onshore wind and short period mean it’ll be a bumpy, wind-affected mess. This is too big for beginners, but the quality is just not there for anyone.

For the whole 16 days, the forecast is a total shutout. In an area like Rockaway, this kind of blank run is more normal than you’d like. Sometimes it just be like that. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, I’d find something else to do.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 55mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 19°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 18°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
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
1
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)
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.6
E
5
0.6
E
5
0.7
E
5
0.9
E
5
0.9
ESE
5
0.5
E
5
0.5
SE
5
0.8
SSE
5
0.8
SSE
6
0.3
SE
12
0.3
SE
12
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.9
SSE
6
0.9
SSE
6
0.9
SE
6
0.8
SE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
26
24
11
18
19
25
40
43
11
11
33
40
22
21
19
18
18
48
71
70
56
Wind (km/h)
5
SW
15
NE
20
NE
15
NE
15
SE
20
E
25
ENE
25
NE
15
ESE
15
WSW
15
S
25
WNW
25
WNW
30
W
5
NE
10
SSE
20
SSE
5
SSE
10
E
10
SSE
5
SE
Wind State
glassy
cross
cross
cross
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
on
glassy
cross-on
on
on
High Tide
2:06PM1.40m
2:27AM1.12m
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
Low Tide
8:39PM0.36m
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
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
cloud
part cloud
light rain
light rain
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
cloud
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:09
6:11
6:11
6:13
6:13
6:15
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:45
7:45
7:43
7:42
7:39
7:38
7:37
 mm
6
34
5
3
7
2
4
6
3
1
Temp °C
26
26
20
21
23
23
20
20
23
23
26
24
20
25
25
23
24
23
24
25
24
Feels °C
28
25
17
19
23
23
17
19
24
25
27
23
15
19
22
23
23
22
25
26
25
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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