Rockaway, NY Surf Forecast (2024)

FAQs

How big are the waves at Rockaway today? ›

The best time of year for surfing Rockaway with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer and most often the month of September. Clean surfable waves are typically found 33% of the time in September while 57% of the time it tends to be blown out.

Surf Beaches are located between Beach 66 - Beach 70 Street, Beach 87 - Beach 92 Street, and Beach 110 - Beach 111 Street. Fishing Beaches are located between Beach 12 - 14 Street.

Today's Rockaway sea temperature is 65 °F.

Nevertheless, Rockaway Beach is the most consistent surf break in the New York City area and oftentimes the most crowded spot, too. Actually, roughly half of all NYC lifeguards work on Rockaway Beach. Many NYC surfers catch a train, bus, or subway to get to the famous south-southeast-facing coastline.

What is Big Wave Surfing? For it to be considered big wave surfing, a surfer must tackle a wave of at least 20 feet (6.2 metres) high. Speeds of around 80km/h (50mph) are common, and wipeouts will see bodies skip along the water's surface, like pebbles skimmed on a lake.

Regardless of which end of the tide cycle you're surfing, the currents during incoming tides are generally better than outgoing tides for beginners. Surfing an hour before maximum high tide is usually ideal if you want waves with great height and speed.

“In general, the best surfing conditions can be found during winter months, in each respective hemisphere, when the waves tend to get bigger and the swells are more reliable. Summer months are usually less consistent and with smaller waves,” Drughi said.

Surf forecasts often display wind direction in degrees/bearing. Surfing is usually best when it's wind-free. A surfer values glassy conditions―a calm surface of the water without gusts of wind―the most, but tough surfers learn to manage even the worst conditions.

Waves in New York

Long Island is full of long sandy beaches with numerous hollow peaks and also quite a few point breaks as well. Winter is the best time to surf but expect extremely cold air and water temperatures. If you can endure the chilly water you'll be rewarded with near perfect tubes with little crowds.

What beach is famous for surfing? ›

Oahu, Hawaii, USA

Fortunately, there are also plenty of other breaks located on the island that is the birthplace of modern surfing. Not to be Missed: The famous North Shore is 7 miles of spots including Backdoor, Waimea Bay, Ka'ena Point, Sunset Beach, Pupukea Beach, and Kahuku Point.

Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York is the only legal surfing spot in New York City. It is also renowned for its world-class waves and fanatic surf culture. This makes sense considering that prime surfing conditions occur between September and April each year, when the water averages in the mid 40's.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rockaway this week:

The primary swell is predicted to be 3ft and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0ft and 8s.

HOW COLD IS TOO COLD FOR SURF? There is no 'too cold to surf', only not good enough, or not thick enough wetsuits.

The coolest months of the year are December, January, and February, during which time the daily highs will generally reach the low to mid 50's and the nighttime temperatures will dip to the low 40's.

The Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk is a public park in Rockaway, Queens, New York, composed of the 170-acre (69 ha) Rockaway Beach and the adjacent 5.5-mile (8.9 km) Rockaway Boardwalk. The beach runs from Beach 9th Street in Far Rockaway to Beach 149th Street in Neponsit, a distance of 7 miles (11 km).

Typically, wave pool waves are in the 1'-3' range and surf pool waves are in the 3'-8' range.

The surf forecast is 2-4 ft and semi glassy/bumpy right now for Manhattan Beach, CA.