Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest about what’s on the table for Rockaway. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for anyone wanting to get a proper wave. I’ve scanned the whole 16-day window, and there’s nothing that really gets the heart pumping. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf ahead.

The water is sitting at about 74°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only upside.

We start off Wednesday, August 26th, with a tiny 1 ft swell from the SE, period around 9 seconds, but that south wind is howling at 12 mph, cross-on, and it’s choppy. The combined energy is a weak 28, and it’s just poor. That sets the tone for the whole week.

Thursday the 27th isn’t any better. Morning has a 2 ft swell from the ESE, period at 8 seconds, but the south wind is even stronger at 16 mph. The afternoon gets a bit of size, 4 ft, but it’s a short period wind swell at 5 seconds with a 22 mph south wind. The energy bumps to 154, but it’s lumpy and cross-on – a total mess.

Friday the 28th offers a tiny glimmer. Morning shows a 3 ft swell from the SE with a 6-second period, and the wind finally swings to the WNW at 6 mph, making it cross-off and clean. The energy is only 71, so it’s weak, but it’s the cleanest thing we’ve seen. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is about as good as it gets right now. Still, it’s small.

From there, it’s a wasteland. Saturday the 29th through to the end of August, we’re looking at tiny 1 ft to 2 ft waves with weak energy values in the teens and twenties. The wind is all over the place, but it’s never glassy offshore. The first week of September is more of the same – small, weak, and usually cross-on with a breeze.

Now, there’s a bit of a tease way out there. On Thursday, September 10th, we finally see some size. The morning shows a 5 ft swell from the east, period 6 seconds, with a strong 19 mph offshore wind from the NW. The energy jumps to 217. The afternoon looks even better with the same 5 ft swell, period 7 seconds, and a 12 mph WNW wind, offshore. Energy is 248. The report even says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the only real standout in the whole 16-day window, but it’s a long way off.

The caveat here is that east swell with a short period (6-7 seconds) is going to be a bit lumpy and weak for the size, and with that much wind, it’ll be a battle to get out. It’s a real expert-only window if it holds up. For the rest of us, keep the board in the car and check the forecast later.

It’s a rough patch, but it won’t be like this forever.

Rusty.

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