72nd Place Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the outlook for 72nd Place over the next 16 days is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions, with only a couple of mornings that might offer a glimmer of hope for the dedicated surfer.

The water temperature is running about 3° warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting at 72°, which is notably warm and means you can get away with a thinner suit.

The pattern starts with nothing worth paddling out for. From Tuesday, September 8th, right through the whole first week and into the second, it’s a story of poor surf conditions. The swell is tiny, mostly between 1ft and 3ft, and while it’s coming from a decent SSW to SW direction, the wind is a constant problem. It’s almost always cross-on or cross, with speeds from 6 to 12 mph, churning the water up and making it choppy. The combined energy levels are moderate, ranging from 176 to 484, but without clean conditions, that energy doesn’t translate to rideable waves. The period does get long, hitting 16 to 20 seconds, which is proper groundswell, but at this size and with the breeze, it’s just not lining up.

There is a significant gap of several days here with no real recommendations. The surf quality is just poor, day after day.

Now, if you’re desperate, there are two mornings that stand out, though they are far from perfect. The first is on Friday, September 18th, in the morning. The wind goes light onshore from the SW at 3 mph, the swell is 2ft from the SW with a very long 19-second period, and the combined energy is 436. The second is on Sunday, September 20th, also in the morning. Again, light onshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph, a touch more size at 3ft from the SW, 18-second period, and energy of 457. These are the only two times the forecast mentions "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions" instead of the usual "poor surf conditions." That’s a sign that the stars might just barely align.

For these two windows, the swell is small, so it’s beginner-friendly in size, but the long period means it’ll be a slow, waiting game. The light wind will keep the surface reasonably clean, but this is a sheltered spot with an inconsistent reputation, so you’ll be relying on set waves. If you’re going to try, those are your best bets. For the rest of the period, leave the board at home and maybe check the wind for a kite session, because the constant cross-onshore breeze will make for a bumpy paddle.

Rusty.

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