🇺🇸 QUEENS, NEW YORK

Rockaway Beach

NYC's only surf beach, accessible by subway

FLAT

Live Conditions

Conditions Summary

Small 1.5ft surf — but short 5s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — hitting at the ideal angle — 10mph onshore wind roughing up the surface

HIGH CONFIDENCEFresh buoy data + calibrated transformation

Why it's FLAT

Swell Direction

Primary swell is 164° — close to but not perfectly aligned with ideal 130°. Spot will work but not at its best.

Swell Period

3s — this is wind chop, not groundswell. Waves will be weak and disorganized.

Wind

10mph onshore — will chop up the surface and ruin wave shape

Tide

High tide — some spots get mushy at peak high

Season

September is peak season for this spot

Data Confidence

Fresh buoy data with calibrated coastal transformation

At the Break

1.5ft

HIGH CONFIDENCE

Fresh buoy data + calibrated transformation

Period

✗ Wind swell

Wind

10mph

ONSHORE

Water

74°F

Spring suit

Live Buoy 44065

2.0ft

56 min ago

Tide

HIGH TIDE

8.5ft

Next high: in 42 min

Swell Direction

85%

Wind Direction

Primary Swell

0.9ft @ 6.0s

SSE 147°

Secondary Swell

0.6ft @ 5.2s

S 183°

10 Day Outlook

2.6ft

TODAY

Sep 13

(5s)

2.8ft

TMRW

Sep 14

(9s)

2.6ft

TUE

Sep 15

(7s)

2.2ft

WED

Sep 16

(8s)

2.2ft

THU

Sep 17

(8s)

3.0ft

FRI

Sep 18

(7s)

7.7ft

SAT

Sep 19

(9s)

6.4ft

SUN

Sep 20

(9s)

6.3ft

MON

Sep 21

(9s)

6.2ft

TUE

Sep 22

(9s)

Best this week: SAT Sep 19 — 7.7ft

Best next week: SUN Sep 20 — 6.4ft

Incoming Swell Events

Day 7

solid

Swell building to 7.7ft @ 9s

Model Breakdown

ECMWF (45%)1.7ft

ICON (35%)2.2ft

GFS (20%)2.4ft

Model confidence80%

Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS

About

Rockaway is the only legal surf beach within New York City limits, reachable by the A train from Manhattan. A long sandbar beach that works on East and South swells, with designated surf zones that keep the lineup reasonable. Scrappy but soulful — the only place you can surf in the morning and be in Brooklyn for lunch.

The Break

Beach 90th to Beach 110th — designated surf zones along a long sand beach.

Ideal Conditions

S/E swell 2-8ft, offshore N/NW wind, mid to low tide

Best Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Best months highlighted · Current: Sep

Trip Planner

Rockaway Urban Surf Weekend

Weekend · 3 Days

Friday

Grab your board, hop the A train from Manhattan (1.5 hrs). Check Beach 90th, grab local food.

Saturday

Dawn patrol at the main hub (Beach 90th). Afternoon hang at the beach. Subway back to Manhattan for dinner.

Sunday

Morning session, head back to the city.

New York City Surf Week

Full Week · 7 Days

Day 1

Stay in NYC, session at Rockaway via subway.

Day 2-4

Multiple sessions at the main zones. Explore different beach sections.

Day 5

Final session, return to the city for evening activities.

Local Knowledge

Subway access via the A train — bring your board on the train, it's accepted.

Beach 90th is the main hub for surfers.

Scrappy but soulful vibe — respect the local community.