Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Rockaway over the next 16 days is a tough one. We’re looking at a long dry spell, with basically nothing worth paddling out for until the very end of the period. The water is sitting at a warm 73°, feeling a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a small silver lining, but the surf just isn’t cooperating.

From Thursday, September 3rd, all the way through to the middle of the month, it’s a frustrating grind. For the first couple of weeks, we’ve got weak, short-period swell – mostly around 1.0ft to 3ft from the SE or E, with periods barely hitting 6 to 8 seconds. The combined energy is pathetic, sitting in the low double digits (like 21, 31, 44). Even when the wind goes offshore or clean, like Friday morning, September 4th, with a nice NW breeze, the swell is just too small to do anything with. It’s a total tease. The wind eventually turns cross or onshore, chopping up any tiny bit of form.

There’s a glimmer on Thursday, September 10th, with a 3ft S swell and a moderate cross-offshore wind, but the energy is still weak (86) and the period is short (7 seconds). It’s still a “poor surf conditions” situation. The whole stretch from September 3rd to September 14th is a washout – more than a week and a half of flat, weak conditions.

The only real standout in this whole 16-day window – and it’s a weak one – comes on Tuesday, September 15th. We get a 2ft SE swell, but the period is still a paltry 6 seconds. The big difference is the wind. The early morning is glassy – zero wind. That’s rare. It’ll be the cleanest the water is all period. The combined energy is a paltry 50 (weak), so don’t expect any power. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. For a wave that’s exposed to the SSE swell, that SE direction is not ideal, but the glassy conditions are the only thing making it worth a look.

If you’re an absolute beginner, the small size is fine, but the lack of push and the short period will make it frustrating. For anyone else, it’s a long paddle for a weak, dumpy wave. The crowds at Rockaway are often thick, so with the only decent window on a Tuesday morning, you might dodge the worst of it, but it’s a gamble.

After that, it’s back to the same story. Winds go onshore again, and the swell stays small, finishing with a weak 2ft on Friday, September 18th. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, with the occasional cross-onshore breeze and weak, rolling swell. There’s just nothing to get excited about.

-Rusty

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