Surf Forecasts:
Rockaway surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, SSE swell with 315 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period with S 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rockaway in the next 16 days are 1.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rockaway over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Rockaway over the next couple of weeks.
Truth be told, it's a slow start. The first few days are a bit of a write-off – think tiny, weak dribbles and onshore slop. We’re looking at a real quiet spell right through the middle of the month. The water is sitting at a very warm 75°, which is about 4° above the norm for this time of year. That’s a notable anomaly, so you’ll be feeling that difference.
We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The first real sign of life doesn't show up until Wednesday the 22nd. The morning sees a pulse of chest-high SSE swell pushing in at 4ft, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (240), and with a clean cross-off wind, it'll be ridable, but it's still not setting the world on fire. That afternoon, the swell kicks up a touch to 5ft, same clean wind, and the energy climbs to 288. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s still just ordinary.
The standout of the whole forecast, and it’s the only one worth getting excited about, is Thursday the 23rd. The afternoon session is the pick. The swell hangs around 3ft from the SSE, but the period stretches to 8 seconds and the energy is moderate (237). The real magic is the wind – it goes dead calm, glassy as a mirror. That’s a major positive, and for a spot like Rockaway, clean conditions make all the difference. The water is still warm, and the offshore direction is NW, so it’ll be a clean, glassy session. It’s the only time we see a “good surf conditions” call.
After that brief highlight, we’re back to the grind. The rest of the run into late July and early August is small, messy, and mostly onshore. There’s a tiny window on the morning of Saturday the 25th with a clean cross-off breeze, but the swell is a paltry 2ft. It’s just not going to do much.
The end of the month on Thursday the 30th shows a bit of energy in the afternoon with a 3ft SSE swell and a clean cross-off, but the overall picture is still one of poor conditions. The crowds at Rockaway can be an issue, but with surf this marginal, you’ll probably have the place more to yourself than you’d like.
So, bottom line: hold out for the afternoon of Thursday the 23rd. That’s your one golden window. The rest is a long, slow grind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 48mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 19°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Tue night, fresh winds from the W by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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 15 | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | S 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 60 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 15 | 11 | 39 | 110 | 235 | 287 | 230 | 131 | 98 | 42 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 10:36AM1.56m | 10:47PM1.66m | 11:30AM1.55m | 11:38PM1.55m | 12:21PM1.54m | 00:29AM1.43m | 1:10PM1.51m | 1:19AM1.32m | 1:58PM1.48m | 2:09AM1.22m | 2:47PM1.45m | 3:02AM1.15m | 3:38PM1.44m | 3:59AM1.12m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:35PM-0.01m | 5:11AM-0.12m | 5:26PM0.07m | 5:56AM-0.04m | 6:18PM0.17m | 6:42AM0.06m | 7:16PM0.25m | 7:32AM0.16m | 8:19PM0.30m | 8:25AM0.23m | 9:20PM0.31m | 9:20AM0.27m | 10:16PM0.29m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | |  | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | |
 | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — |
 | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 18 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 37 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 24 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | SE 14 | S 5 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 13 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 7 | S 12 | S 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SE 7 |
| kJ | 5 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 74 | 235 | 287 | 230 | 131 | 82 | 42 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 14 | SE 8 | SE 14 | SE 8 | — | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | — | SE 12 | — | SE 11 | ESE 5 | E 5 | — | NW 3 | SE 8 | S 7 |
| kJ | 3 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | — | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 6 | — | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 57 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | — | SE 14 | — | SE 13 | — | — | SE 13 | — | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 8 | — | 8 | — | 7 | — | — | 7 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 | — | S 6 | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | — | SE 3 | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | S 6 | — | W 3 | NW 3 | NNW 2 | SSE 8 | — |
| kJ | — | 4 | 4 | 7 | — | 60 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 4 | 11 | 39 | 110 | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | 98 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2625 | 831 | 839 | 1275 | 40 | 226 | 25 | 0 | 83 | 143 | 175 | 365 | 2490 | 217 | 0 | 320 | 106 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Long Island New York | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Rockaway surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest