Jenkinsons (Point Pleasant Beach) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are going to test your patience if you’re chasing quality waves. We’ve got a long stretch of small, messy, and often wind-affected surf ahead, with only a couple of brief windows that look worth paddling out for. But that’s the nature of the game sometimes, and we’ll take what we can get.

The water’s sitting at a very warm 74.1° right now, which is a solid 4° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a real treat, so at least you won’t be needing a thick suit.

We start off with a real flat spell. Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are pretty much a write-off – you’re looking at tiny 1 ft waves with cross-onshore breezes and poor conditions. Not worth the drive. The swell energy is weak, in the 15 to 21 range, and the period is hanging around 9-10 seconds, but there’s just nothing there.

We finally see a pulse of energy on Sunday the 13th. The swell bumps up to 3.6 ft from the SSE, but with a short 6-second period. The wind goes offshore, which is a big tick – it’ll be clean and glassy, but the waves themselves are going to be pretty ordinary, fat and weak. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. That energy reading jumps to 93, which is still weak, but it’s a start. The light offshore wind on Sunday afternoon should keep it tidy for a few small ones.

Then we go flat again. Monday the 14th through to Saturday the 19th is a barren stretch. The swell drops back down to 1.3 ft – 2.6 ft, with all sorts of cross and onshore winds messing things up. The periods are mostly short too, sub-8 seconds, so even the tiny bumps don’t have much push. This is a real gap in the action, about a week of nothing decent. There are a few cleaner windows on Thursday the 17th and Saturday the 19th with cross-offshore breezes, but the swell is just too small to bother with.

Now, here’s where things change, but not for the better waves, just for the bigger ones. Sunday the 20th sees a significant jump in size. The swell builds to 6.2 ft from the ENE, with a short 7-second period. The problem is the wind – a fresh 22 mph cross-shore northeasterly. It’s going to be lumpy, choppy, and a complete mess. The energy jumps to a strong 402, but with that short period and bad wind, it’s not going to be surfable for paddle surfing. Honestly, this setup, with strong winds and a short-period swell on a beach/jetty break, looks way more interesting for the kite surfers than for us.

Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd bring even more energy – readings between 306 and 630 – with swell heights at 5.6 ft to 6.6 ft from the east. But again, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, moderate to fresh, and the period is still a short 7-9 seconds. It’s a lot of water moving around but it’s going to be messy, closed-out, and unappealing. The size is up there, but the quality is just not there.

Wednesday the 23rd eases slightly to 4.9 ft – 5.2 ft, but the cross-onshore wind keeps things choppy. Still poor.

Now, this is the standout window. Thursday the 24th. The wind finally swings to a moderate offshore WNW, and the swell is still holding at a solid 4.6 ft from the east with a 9-second period. The energy is strong at 320, and the conditions are going to be clean. This is the best on offer in the whole forecast. The offshore wind will clean up the face nicely. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon wind freshens and goes cross-offshore, but the morning looks like the pick.

Friday the 25th morning also looks promising. You’ve got 4.6 ft from the east on a 9-second period, with a lighter cross-offshore NNW breeze. The energy is still strong at 313. It should be another clean session, though perhaps not quite as pristine as Thursday morning.

After that, it’s a fade-out into the weekend. Saturday the 26th has dropping swell at 3.6 ft with a fresh breeze, and the run of quality is over.

So, the bottom line is: don’t hold your breath for the next week. It’s mostly small and messy. The real opportunities are Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th. Thursday morning looks like the standout – decent size, clean conditions, and a strong groundswell. Friday morning is a solid backup. After that, we’re back to waiting for the next system.

And remember, this whole run, Jenkinsons (Point Pleasant Beach) is an exposed beach/jetty break. When we get these longer-period swells, they can tend to close out a bit, but a 9-second period is pretty workable. It’s going to be crowded if it’s good – this place draws a crowd when the waves are on, so don’t expect a solitary session.

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