Rockaway Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.57° N 73.85° W

Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 03 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rockaway sea temperature is
22.9°C
1.5° 

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


Rockaway surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, S swell with 192 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rockaway this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Rockaway in the next 16 days are 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 5AM (Thu 10th Sep)4.5ft (1.4m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you. The outlook for Rockaway is a tough one. We've got a long stretch of small, weak energy ahead. The first real surfable day isn't until Thursday the 3rd of September, and even then, it's a struggle.

We kick off on Thursday morning with a small 2ft swell from the ESE, pushing a weak 60 units of energy. The wind is a cross-offshore from the SW, so it's clean, but the period is a short 6 seconds and the waves are just ordinary. It's surfable, but you'll be scratching for anything decent. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 73°, so that's a small win.

Thursday afternoon gets worse. The swell drops to 1ft and the wind swings onshore, making it poor. Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are the same story – tiny knee-high or less dribble, though we do get some offshore winds on Friday morning and Saturday morning. The energy levels are in the teens and twenties, so you're basically fighting for a few shin-high bumps.

Sunday the 6th sees a slight bump in size to 3ft from the east, but the energy is still weak at 42. The highlight of the whole period might be Sunday afternoon: a glassy 2ft wave with a light south wind. It's still small, but glassy conditions at Rockaway are a gift. The next morning, Monday the 7th, has a clean 1ft wave with a longer 11-second period and a light offshore, but again, it's just not enough height.

From Tuesday the 8th right through to the end of the 16-day window on Friday the 18th of September, it's a poor run. The swell heights stay below 2ft for most of it, with energy levels dropping into the teens and single digits. We get a few clean windows – like the fresh offshore winds on Friday the 11th, and some glassy moments – but the swell is simply too small to do anything with. There's a spike of 4ft on Wednesday the 9th of September from a short-period S swell, but it's lumpy with a fresh cross-onshore wind, so it's a write-off.

The only standout, if you can call it that, is the Sunday afternoon, September 6th session. For a brief moment, we get a glassy, clean 2ft wave. It's not going to be pumping, but the conditions will be as good as they get. You could get a few fun ones on a longboard. After that, it's a long, flat, and frustrating wait. Honestly, for the next two weeks, the setup looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu night, min 18°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 19°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thu
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
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
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
0.5
SE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.3
ESE
8
1
E
6
0.6
E
6
0.5
E
7
0.3
ESE
10
0.2
ESE
10
0.3
ESE
10
0.2
ESE
10
0.2
E
10
0.8
SSW
5
0.3
S
4
0.2
ESE
10
1.2
S
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
28
25
33
25
10
10
9
12
62
31
27
19
10
20
10
7
24
4
9
127
Wind (km/h)
15
S
15
W
15
NW
15
W
25
N
15
NNW
15
N
25
NE
20
NNE
5
SSE
15
N
15
NNW
10
SW
15
WNW
10
NW
5
WNW
15
NE
15
ESE
20
SSE
15
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
cross
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
1:07AM1.27m
1:31PM1.56m
2:13AM1.24m
2:38PM1.55m
3:23AM1.26m
3:48PM1.57m
4:33AM1.32m
4:56PM1.62m
5:37AM1.42m
5:56PM1.68m
6:32AM1.54m
6:49PM1.73m
Low Tide
7:08PM0.24m
6:59AM0.20m
8:26PM0.25m
8:19AM0.23m
9:39PM0.20m
9:36AM0.20m
10:42PM0.12m
10:42AM0.13m
11:37PM0.03m
11:41AM0.05m
00:28AM-0.05m
12:36PM-0.01m
1:16AM-0.11m
clear
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
rain showers
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:24
6:26
6:26
6:28
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:23
7:22
7:21
7:20
7:17
7:15
7:15
 mm
4
1
5
Temp °C
29
31
27
30
27
23
26
24
20
22
22
22
26
25
22
26
25
19
21
22
Feels °C
30
33
27
30
26
20
23
20
17
21
21
19
23
21
20
25
22
16
20
23
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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