Rockaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, lemme look at what’s cookin’ for Rockaway. Gotta be straight with ya, it’s a pretty lean run we’ve got ahead of us for the next 16 days. The first real chance to even think about a paddle isn’t until Monday the 7th of September. That’s over a week of flat or junk. The rest of the window is a whole lotta poor surf conditions, with tiny swell and crap wind.

Alright, so the week from the 29th of August through to the 6th of September? Save your wax. We’re looking at tiny waves, mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is either onshore, cross, or just messy. The combined energy is in the weak zone, like 14 to 413. There’s a bit of a pulse on Wednesday the 2nd with 4 ft from the SE, but with a poor period of 11 seconds and cross-onshore wind, it’s just a lumpy, choppy mess. You wouldn’t even want to paddle out.

Now, come Monday the 7th of September, we finally get a little glimmer. Rockaway sees a 4 ft SSE groundswell with a 6-second period, but the wind goes offshore from the NNW in the morning. The conditions are “gentle offshore and clean,” which is a big positive. The combined swell energy hits a moderate 118, so there’s a bit of push. The water temp is about average for this time of year. This is your best bet in the whole window, but it’s still just “surfable but ordinary.” It’s a spot for intermediate folks, and it can get crowded often, so expect company.

Later that same Monday afternoon, the wind drops to glassy from the North, with 3 ft of SSE swell. It’s clean as a whistle, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so the waves won’t have much grunt. The afternoon glass-off makes it the cleaner of the two sessions, but it’s still not a standout. This is for the dedicated local who just wants a few grovelly turns.

After that, we’re back to tiny dribble and junky wind. By Tuesday the 8th, it’s back to 2 ft and onshore. The second half of the second week is a bleak picture of weak swell and poor surf. There’s just nothing to get excited about.

Honestly, if you’re not desperate to get wet, leave the board in the car. The only session worth a look is the morning of Monday the 7th, and even then, it’s more about the clean conditions than any real quality. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, it’s a big fat nothing.

Rusty.

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