Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what’s on the menu for Rockaway over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’m calling it like it is: this is a pretty grim stretch of surf. The first few days are a write-off, and we’re looking at a long gap of over a week before there’s even a whisper of something rideable. From Thursday the 23rd all the way through to the end of July, the conditions are just poor. The swell is small, mostly under 3ft, but the real killer is the wind. Morning after morning and afternoon after afternoon, it’s onshore or cross-onshore, and the combined wave energy is weak, sitting in the double digits and low hundreds – like 91 (weak) on Thursday the 23rd. It’s not worth paddling out for.

We finally get a slight break around Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. Rockaway sees a little 2ft swell from the SE with a period of 7 seconds, and the wind flips to a light cross-offshore from the W at 6 mph. The energy is still weak at 87, but at least the conditions are clean. It’s just “surfable,” not firing. Nothing to get excited about.

The real glimmer in this whole outlook comes on Wednesday morning, the 29th of July. Rockaway will have a small 2ft swell from the SSE, but the wind goes completely glassy – a light NW breeze at 3 mph. That’s the magic word: glassy. The wave energy is still weak, just 56, but with the wind off and the ocean flat as a mirror, you’ll get the cleanest little 2ft peelers of the whole forecast. The period is only 7 seconds, so it’s a bit of a short-period windswell, but for a dawn session, you’ll have it to yourself. It’s the best on offer, though that’s not saying much.

The following week is a total desert. From the 31st of July through to the 7th of August, the waves are almost non-existent. Swell heights drop to 1ft, energy readings fall to as low as 13, and the winds are messy. There’s a brief moment on Monday morning, the 3rd of August, with a glassy 3ft SE swell, but the energy is 78 – still weak. For a bit of context, the water temp on the 23rd was 73°F with a +0.5°F anomaly, which is pretty average for the time of year, so don’t expect any weird currents or thermals.

Bottom line: If you’re desperate for a surf, the Wednesday morning (29th) glass-off is your only play. After that, you’re looking at a solid 9-day stretch of nothing. The setup is so small and weak for most of this that it’d be more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, especially on the days with stronger onshore winds. It’s a lean patch, but forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Read more