
Surf Forecasts:
Bay Head surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 20 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, ENE swell with 114 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 20 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bay Head this week:
The surf forecast for Bay Head over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bay Head in the next 16 days are 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sun 20th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Sun 20th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bay Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. Looking over the next couple of weeks for this stretch of coast, it’s a pretty quiet picture for the most part. We’ve got a long, flat spell ahead before things start to rumble back to life. Don’t get too excited just yet, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The forecast kicks off with a real dud. Tuesday the 15th is tiny, with a weak 2ft of onshore junk and that ENE wind making a mess of things. There’s barely any energy out there, with a combined energy of just 46. The water’s sitting at 73°, which is a notable 4° warmer than the norm for this time of year—that’s a real treat if you do get in, but the surf itself is a no-go. This flat, poor run continues for days. We’re looking at a solid stretch of nothing. The 16th, 17th, and 18th are all under 2ft and pretty much unsurfable. The energy readings are in the teens and twenties, just nothing with any push. The swell that is there is short-period windswell, mostly under 8 seconds, and the winds are all over the place. It’s just not happening.
We finally see a tiny bump of energy around Saturday the 19th, with the swell picking up to 2-3ft, but it’s messy cross-onshore wind and the energy is still weak, under 100. Sunday the 20th cleans up a touch with some cross-offshore wind from the SW, but the swell drops right back down to that ankle-to-knee high range. It’s still a poor call. The first real sign of some power arrives on Monday the 21st. That ENE swell pushes up to 4ft with a combined energy of 128, which is moderate. But, and it’s a big but, the wind is cross-onshore and the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’s going to be lumpy and uninviting.
After that, it’s back to small for a few more days. We grind through the 22nd and 23rd with more weak, short-period stuff. Then on Thursday the 24th, something interesting finally happens. The morning shows a hint of promise: 3ft of ESE swell, a 6-second period, but a *glassy* wind state with the energy at 74. The call is "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It’s the first time the report isn’t a complete write-off. It won’t be winning any awards, but for a wave-starved surfer, it might just scratch the itch. The wind then swings to a cross-offshore SSW in the afternoon, but the swell backs down.
The following week, things start to look a little more interesting, though it stays on the small side. A strong offshore WNW wind on Friday the 25th will clean up the small 1ft leftovers, but there’s just not enough size. The 27th and 28th remain tiny and clean with glassy mornings, but again, nothing with any push.
The light at the end of the tunnel comes on Tuesday the 30th of September. We finally see a proper pulse of energy. The morning shows 4ft of ENE swell, and the combined energy jumps up to a strong 300. The period is still short, only 8 seconds, but this is the first time the ocean is really waking up. It’s still a cross-shore wind, so it won’t be perfect, but there’s finally some real power behind it. The afternoon holds at 4ft with a slightly better 9-second period and energy of 301. This is the standout of the whole run, but it’s a full two weeks out, so treat it as promising rather than a sure thing. The direction is a touch east of the optimum, but it’s the only real swell event on the board. Bay Head is a beach and jetty setup, and with that much energy and a cross-shore wind, there might be some fun ones if you can find a bank. It could be a bit much for the beginners, but for the rest of us, it’s the one to circle on the calendar.
So, bottom line: hunker down for a long, flat spell. The first week and a half is a write-off. The 24th offers a small, clean window. But the real hope is that Tuesday the 30th finally delivers some serious swell.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Fri morning, fresh winds from the NE by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | E 6 | E 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 5 | E 7 | S 4 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | E 4 | ESE 6 | S 5 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 5 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 56 | 45 | 34 | 15 | 43 | 102 | 85 | 80 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 2:00PM0.10m | 2:19AM0.08m | 2:46PM0.09m | 3:08AM0.08m | 3:34PM0.09m | 4:00AM0.07m | 4:24PM0.09m | 4:54AM0.07m | 5:17PM0.08m | 5:50AM0.07m | 6:14PM0.08m | 6:50AM0.07m | 7:11PM0.09m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:19PM0.01m | 8:20AM0.01m | 9:04PM0.02m | 8:59AM0.02m | 9:56PM0.02m | 9:47AM0.02m | 11:01PM0.02m | 10:55AM0.03m | 00:07AM0.02m | 12:07PM0.03m | 1:04AM0.02m | 1:07PM0.02m | 1:53AM0.02m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 27 | 24 | 13 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | E 6 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | S 4 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | S 5 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 |
16 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 45 | 34 | 13 | 22 | 15 | 14 | 10 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 7 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | E 7 | S 4 | ESE 12 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | E 7 | ESE 11 | S 5 | — |
1 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 1 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | SE 14 | E 13 | SE 13 | E 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | — | — | ESE 11 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | — | S 5 | — |
4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 3 | 7 | — | — | 11 | 15 | 3 | — | 2 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 4 | — | NE 3 | — | E 4 | ESE 6 | S 5 | SSW 5 | — | E 5 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 6 |
25 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 | — | 1 | — | 18 | 56 | 42 | 18 | — | 43 | 102 | 85 | 80 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1014 | 1009 | 777 | 653 | 1191 | 641 | 226 | 1191 | 19 | 191 | 191 | 456 | 1199 | 1200 | 389 | 135 | 17 | 205 | 362 | 362 | 409 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Bay Head Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bay Head provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bay Head can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bay Head surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Bay Head) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Bay Head may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Bay Head is 3 km (2 miles) from Point Pleasant. If you plan a vacation in New Jersey, look for hotels and other accommodation in Point Pleasant. Point Pleasant has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










