72nd Place Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this is one of those outlooks where you might be better off tuning up your longboard or doing some wax therapy, because 72nd Place has got nothing on offer for the next 16 days.

Starting off on Monday the 17th of August, we’ve got a tiny 3ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, but the wind is a cross-on 12 mph from the WSW, making it choppy and clean only in your imagination. The water’s sitting at 70°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing worth noting. The combined energy is weak at best (332), and the wave quality is just poor.

Tuesday the 18th through to the end of August is more of the same. Swell heights barely scrape 2ft, mostly from the SSW or SW, with periods ranging from 13 to 19 seconds. The winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore—light breezes turning into gentle ones—but always messing up the surface. Every single entry in the book says “poor surf conditions,” and the scores are zeros. The combined energy dips as low as 132 on the 22nd and peaks at just 355 on the 18th afternoon, so we’re talking weak to very weak wave energy across the board.

Now, hold onto your leash because around Friday the 28th of August, we start seeing a little pulse. The swell nudges up to 2ft with a 20-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 493—still weak, but at least there’s some life. Then on Saturday the 29th of August, we hit the biggest swell of the period: 4ft from the SSW with an 18-second period, and energy readings of 931 and 942. That’s moderate energy, and the wind is light and variable, with a bit of cross-onshore but a light breeze. Still, every entry says “poor surf conditions.” For a sheltered, inconsistent break like 72nd Place that rarely works, even this little bump isn’t enough to get excited about. It’s way too small and the wind isn’t clean enough.

Sunday the 30th of August holds similar 4ft to 4ft SSW swell with a 16-second period and energy in the 800s, but once again, the wind is cross-on or onshore. The trend fades into the start of September with 2ft and weak energy.

The honest truth is, there isn’t a single standout session in this entire 16-day run. If you’re desperate, the morning of Saturday the 29th or Sunday the 30th of August gives you the biggest swell (4–4ft) with lighter winds, but don’t expect any quality—the setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing given the cross-onshore winds and beach break nature. Crowds are “sometimes” an issue here, but frankly, with conditions this poor, you’ll have the place to yourself.

Hang in there—it tends not to stay this flat for long, and forecasts can change. But right now, leave your board in the car.

Rusty.

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