Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Rockaway's got cookin' over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you, it's a pretty bleak stretch for actual surfing.

Right off the bat, the water's sitting at 79°, which is a full 6° warmer than it should be for this time of year. That's way out of the ordinary and feels more like a bath than the Atlantic.

The problem is, for the first week and a half, the combined swell energy is just pathetic, barely registering (29 for Sunday morning). It's all short-period, weak windswell. From Sunday the 9th right through till Monday the 17th, the forecast is consistently "poor surf conditions." We're looking at tiny 1ft to 4ft swells, and most days the wind is either onshore or cross-shore, making it a complete mess. Tuesday the 11th has a brief moment of offshore wind, but the swell height is only 2ft — too small to get excited about. There's a real dead zone in there.

After a long wait, we finally get a flicker of hope on Tuesday morning, the 18th of August. The wind goes glassy, with a 2ft swell from the SSE at 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 80, and it's described as "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It's not going to win any awards, but it's the only window where you won't be fighting a losing battle.

Then on Thursday morning, the 20th of August, the swell jumps to 5ft from the S with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 207, which is moderate to strong. But it's onshore and the comment is "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." The afternoon gets even bigger at 5ft, but the wind is onshore and messy, making it a chop fest. If you're a kitesurfer, that afternoon might look interesting, but for paddling in, it's a no-go.

The last few days of the forecast from the 21st to the 24th drop back down into the tiny, poor category. We get some glassy mornings on the 23rd and 24th, but with only 1ft of swell, you'll be doing more floating than surfing.

Honestly, the standout, if you can even call it that, is that Tuesday morning on the 18th. That's your best shot for a clean, if very small, session. Everything else is a pass. Rockaway is known for being fickle, and this is one of those stretches where you just wait for the next storm to change things up. Forecasts can change, but right now, the only thing on offer is patience.

Rusty.

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