Surf Forecasts:
Rockaway surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 5s period, SSE swell with 87 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s 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 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rockaway in the next 16 days are 1.3m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rockaway over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you – if you’re hanging out for a decent paddle in the Rockaway area over the next couple of weeks, you’re gonna be waiting a while. The whole 16-day window is a tough one, with barely a whisper of rideable surf. We’ve got a gap of almost no recommendations right from the start, stretching through to the second week of September. The swell is tiny, the energy is weak, and the wind is a pain in the backside most days.
Let’s run through it. It all kicks off Tuesday the 25th of August with a measly 1ft of swell out of the SE, period at 11 seconds, but the combined energy is only 24 – which is weak as dishwater. A westerly cross-offshore keeps it clean, but it’s just too small to bother. Wednesday the 26th is similar: 1ft SE swell in the morning, clean with a light W wind, but still no go. The afternoon gets a bit more height at 2ft from the SSE, but the wind swings southerly at 16 mph, making it a choppy cross-onshore mess. Energy hits 100, which is still only moderate, but the conditions are poor.
Thursday the 27th is a write-off with risk of thunderstorms, strong SSW winds, and lumpy, cross-onshore slop. Friday the 28th offers a tiny glimmer: a clean 2ft SE swell in the morning thanks to a light northerly, and by the afternoon it goes glassy with a WSW breeze. The energy is still weak (84 and 81), and the wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s about the best we get, and it’s a real stretch to call it a standout – it’s ankle-snappers at best. From there, it’s grim: Saturday the 29th through Monday the 31st of August, all poor conditions with tiny swell.
September starts off no better. Tuesday the 1st has a 1ft SE swell with a long 14-second period, but the combined energy is a pitiful 51. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride. The rest of the first week is a blur of small, onshore junk, with winds often over 13 mph, making it choppy and crummy. The water temp is sitting at 75°F, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
We finally see a small shift around Saturday the 5th of September, with a 2ft SE swell and a light WSW cross-off offshore in the morning – “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” again, energy at 59. But it’s still tiny. The pattern holds through Sunday the 6th, Monday the 7th, and Tuesday the 8th, with little change.
The only real glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday the 9th of September. We get a solid offshore wind from the NW at 16-19 mph, which will groom the surface clean. The swell bumps up to 2ft from the ESE, period around 8-9 seconds, and the combined energy hits 68. It’s still small and weak, but with that fresh offshore wind, it’s the cleanest the wave faces will be the entire forecast. For a log or a longboard, you might find a fun little crumbler at the break, but it’s nothing to get excited about. This is the best on offer, and it’s a long way from pumping.
If you’re a kite surfer, the stronger cross-onshore days with building wind might be more your thing, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a bloody quiet fortnight. You’d be better off checking the forecast again in a few days – sometimes things change quick.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 20°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Wed morning, fresh winds from the S by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Mon afternoon, min 19°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | 14 | 26 | 38 | 47 | 87 | 38 | 35 | 55 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 22 | 10 | 17 | 11 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 6:56AM1.33m | 7:09PM1.59m | 7:34AM1.41m | 7:46PM1.62m | 8:10AM1.47m | 8:22PM1.62m | 8:45AM1.52m | 8:58PM1.59m | 9:20AM1.57m | 9:36PM1.54m | 9:59AM1.59m | 10:19PM1.47m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:51AM0.11m | 12:55PM0.16m | 1:31AM0.04m | 1:39PM0.12m | 2:10AM-0.01m | 2:22PM0.08m | 2:47AM-0.03m | 3:04PM0.06m | 3:22AM-0.04m | 3:44PM0.06m | 3:56AM-0.03m | 4:26PM0.08m | 4:31AM0.01m | ||||||
— | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
7:38 | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
Temp °C | 24 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 28 | 27 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 33 | 28 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 34 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | S 5 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | S 4 | SE 6 |
18 | 14 | 26 | 38 | 47 | 62 | 24 | 21 | 55 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | S 6 | — | — | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | S 6 | SE 8 | S 6 | SE 8 | — | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 16 |
4 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 38 | 35 | 18 | 11 | 24 | 18 | 16 | 6 | 11 | — | 9 | 8 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | SE 8 |
2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 6 | S 4 | S 4 | SSE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 6 | — | — | SSE 3 | S 5 | — | S 4 | S 5 |
— | — | 7 | 12 | 18 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | 8 | 22 | — | 17 | 11 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 153 | 117 | 1228 | 24 | 317 | 1219 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 30 | 616 | 570 | 570 | 1341 | 117 | 20 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Long Island New York | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











