Surf Forecasts:
Rockaway surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, ESE swell with 276 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with SSE 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 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. 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 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11PM. 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) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rockaway over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest about what’s on the table for Rockaway. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for anyone wanting to get a proper wave. I’ve scanned the whole 16-day window, and there’s nothing that really gets the heart pumping. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf ahead.
The water is sitting at about 74°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only upside.
We start off Wednesday, August 26th, with a tiny 1 ft swell from the SE, period around 9 seconds, but that south wind is howling at 12 mph, cross-on, and it’s choppy. The combined energy is a weak 28, and it’s just poor. That sets the tone for the whole week.
Thursday the 27th isn’t any better. Morning has a 2 ft swell from the ESE, period at 8 seconds, but the south wind is even stronger at 16 mph. The afternoon gets a bit of size, 4 ft, but it’s a short period wind swell at 5 seconds with a 22 mph south wind. The energy bumps to 154, but it’s lumpy and cross-on – a total mess.
Friday the 28th offers a tiny glimmer. Morning shows a 3 ft swell from the SE with a 6-second period, and the wind finally swings to the WNW at 6 mph, making it cross-off and clean. The energy is only 71, so it’s weak, but it’s the cleanest thing we’ve seen. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is about as good as it gets right now. Still, it’s small.
From there, it’s a wasteland. Saturday the 29th through to the end of August, we’re looking at tiny 1 ft to 2 ft waves with weak energy values in the teens and twenties. The wind is all over the place, but it’s never glassy offshore. The first week of September is more of the same – small, weak, and usually cross-on with a breeze.
Now, there’s a bit of a tease way out there. On Thursday, September 10th, we finally see some size. The morning shows a 5 ft swell from the east, period 6 seconds, with a strong 19 mph offshore wind from the NW. The energy jumps to 217. The afternoon looks even better with the same 5 ft swell, period 7 seconds, and a 12 mph WNW wind, offshore. Energy is 248. The report even says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the only real standout in the whole 16-day window, but it’s a long way off.
The caveat here is that east swell with a short period (6-7 seconds) is going to be a bit lumpy and weak for the size, and with that much wind, it’ll be a battle to get out. It’s a real expert-only window if it holds up. For the rest of us, keep the board in the car and check the forecast later.
It’s a rough patch, but it won’t be like this forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 20°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Tue afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the ENE by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 4 | S 5 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 4 | E 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
38 | 47 | 59 | 47 | 44 | 54 | 39 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 20 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 29 | 69 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 10:42AM1.60m | 11:08PM1.39m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:10PM0.12m | |||||||
— | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
7:37 | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 22 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 21 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 23 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 5 | SE 7 | S 4 | SE 7 | S 5 | SSE 12 |
38 | 47 | 52 | 47 | 25 | 54 | 39 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 15 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | — | — | SE 9 | SE 8 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | S 4 | SE 13 | S 6 |
3 | — | — | 37 | 44 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 9 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 10 | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
— | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 4 | SSE 5 | — | — | S 6 | — | — | SSE 6 | — | SSW 5 | S 4 | S 5 | — | S 5 | S 4 | — | ESE 4 | E 6 |
6 | 14 | 59 | — | — | 19 | — | — | 6 | — | 9 | 20 | 16 | — | 10 | 10 | — | 29 | 69 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 177 | 320 | 1219 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 117 | 153 | 153 | 2730 | 403 | 153 | 972 | 360 | 570 | 352 | 203 |
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.











