72nd Place Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – looking at the 16-day window for Seventy-Second-Place, it’s a tough stretch. There’s just nothing happening for the first few days, and honestly, for pretty much the whole run.

Right now, and into the weekend, we’re looking at a flat spell. The first sniff of any surf doesn’t come until Friday the 31st of July, and even then, it’s a no-go. The swell tops out at a weak 4ft from the S with a 14-second period, giving us a combined energy of 500 – that's moderate, sure – but the real killer is the wind. It’s onshore or cross-on the whole time, and the wave comment just says “marginal” or “poor.” From that Friday, all the way through to Friday the 14th of August, every session is marked as poor surf conditions. We’ve got morning windows with light breezes, but the wind is always from the wrong direction – SW, SSW, or WSW – pushing straight into the face or slapping it sideways. That’s a recipe for choppy, junky lines.

The swell does try to flicker back to life after a week. Around the 7th of August, we see some longer-period energy show up – a 2ft swell with a 19-second period on Friday morning – but the combined energy is still only 300 and the wind is onshore. That long period would be sweet for a point break, but at a sheltered, inconsistent spot that needs SW swell, that tiny amount of energy isn't going to overcome the breeze. A couple of days later, on Wednesday the 12th of August, the combined energy bumps up to 417, but again, with onshore winds, it’s just not going to clean up.

Honestly, the only one breaching the “poor” threshold is that very first window on Friday morning the 31st of July. With a 4ft south swell and a light 6 mph offshore, it’s the least bad. But the wave comment still calls it “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” and the score is a 1/10. It’s not a standout; it’s a maybe-get-wet-if-you’re-desperate kind of deal.

Over two weeks of nothing but poor or marginal conditions. The crowds at 72nd Place are only “sometimes” an issue, so at least you won't be fighting for scraps. A few consistent-looking windows in the forecast would make me say “hang in there,” but with no consistency and poor winds, this looks like a long, dry spell for the area. The kites might have fun with this onshore wind if it gets strong enough, but for a paddle surfer, there’s nothing to get excited about. I’d keep the board in the car and find something else to do for the next fortnight.

Rusty.

Read more