Rockaway, United States

No town nearby. No stay checked for this spot yet: Lawrence, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 8 km.

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About Rockaway

Known for kitesurfing and windsurfing, by the OpenStreetMap map of the area. The shore faces NW, so wind from the SE blows out to sea (our estimate from the coastline). Facts: verified.

Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

A spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing, as OpenStreetMap maps it, on a shore facing NW. Wind from the NW blows onshore, wind from the SE blows out to sea, and wind from the NE or SW runs along the shore. It is sheltered to the open sea. The sea is about 5°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 23°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For windsurfing at expert level the best month is usually January, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this spot yet: Lawrence, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 8 km. Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.

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From Chicago: about 4 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), direct.
See flights ORD → JFK · Skyscanner from about £135 returnAd
Getting there. 30 min from the airport to Rockaway.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this spot yet: Lawrence, 10 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 8 km.
Hire and lessons.
Windsurfing lessons in Rockaway · GetYourGuideAd Board and rig hire in Rockaway · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Rockaway on Google Maps · Directions

Windsurf spot

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for windsurf, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

Wind forecast and score for each day at Rockaway
Day	Score	Wind	Gusts	Shore	Water
Sun 18Oct	0, poor	wind from the north, 9 knots	18kn	side-on	flat
Mon 19Oct	0, poor	wind from the north, 6 knots	10kn	side-on	chop
Tue 20Oct	0, poor	wind from the north, 10 knots	14kn	side-on	chop
Wed 21Oct	0, poor	wind from the north-north-east, 11 knots	16kn	side-on	chop
Thu 22Oct	0, poor	wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots	12kn	on	chop
Fri 23Oct	0, poor	wind from the north, 9 knots	16kn	side-on	flat
Sat 24Oct	0, poor	wind from the north, 7 knots	12kn	side-on	flat
Sun 25Oct	0, poor	wind from the west, 5 knots	10kn	side-on	flat
Mon 26Oct	0, poor	wind from the west, 5 knots	11kn	side-on	flat
Tue 27Oct	0, poor	wind from the north-west, 7 knots	10kn	on	flat

Day scores are the conditions out of 80. Wind is the day's best reading: the mean and the gusts in knots (10 kn is about 19 km/h); the arrow points where it blows to. Shore: "side" is side-shore, blowing along the beach, the safe way; "side-on" and "on" blow in towards it; "cross-off" and "off" blow out to sea, and offshore scores nothing for kite and windsurf. Water is the open sea's waves near the spot: flat under 0.3 m, chop to 0.8 m.

The season

Good windsurf days in a typical week, each month, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

Jan2of 7
Feb1of 7
Mar1of 7
Apr1of 7
May1of 7
Jun0of 7
Jul0of 7
Aug0of 7
Sep0of 7
Oct1of 7
Nov1of 7
Dec1of 7

Typical, not a forecast. Reanalysis wind misses some local thermal winds, so a spot known for an afternoon breeze may do better than this.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for windsurf. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to JFK, then 30 min by road. About 4h 40 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 10 kn gusting 14, side-onshore. Water: chop.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 11 kn gusting 16, side-onshore. Water: chop.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 6 kn gusting 12, onshore. Water: chop.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 9 kn gusting 16, side-onshore. Water: flat.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 7 kn gusting 12, side-onshore. Water: flat.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to JFK, then 30 min by road. About 4h 40 door to door

Rough cost

About £445–£850 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing. A guide from typical prices, not a quote. No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Kit hire is not in it yet: we have no sourced price for it.

Flights £135–£280
To the UK airport £35–£65
Taxi £15–£25
Food £260–£480

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Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Windsurfing lessons · GetYourGuide Board and rig hire · GetYourGuide

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