Jenkinsons (Point Pleasant Beach) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got cookin’ for the next couple of weeks. I’m gonna be straight with you – it’s a long, flat stretch ahead for most of it, but there’s a couple of moments that might just get the heart pumpin’.

First off, right now and for the next several days, it’s pretty grim. The water is sitting at a very unusual 78° (that’s much warmer than normal), but that’s about the only highlight. We’re looking at a long gap of almost no real surf on offer. The swell is tiny, mostly under 2 ft, and the energy is weak (often in the 60s or lower). For a beach/jetty spot like Jenkinson’s (Point Pleasant Beach), which is exposed to that ENE direction, it’s just not happening. Wind is cross-on or straight onshore for most of the first week, and even when we get a little offshore or glassy clean-up, the swell is just too small to bother with. Honestly, for the first week and a half, you’d be better off finding something else to do.

Now, things start to stir around the very end of the month. On the morning of Sunday, 30th August, we get a little pulse of life. Swell bumps to 4 ft from the ENE, with a short period of 6 seconds. The energy jumps to a moderate 126. Wind is light and cross-off, so it cleans up nicely. It’s still a short-period windswell, so not magic, but for a spot that’s been doin’ nothing, this is the first real chance for a paddle. Keep your expectations in check, but it’s surfable.

The real standout in the whole 16-day window is shaping up for the start of September. Tuesday morning, 1st September, we see the swell size holding at 4 ft from the ESE, but the energy is building strong at 194. Wind is cross-off and clean. That’s good. Then Wednesday morning, 2nd September, is where it’s at. Swell drops a bit to 2 ft, but the period stretches out to a lovely long 12 seconds from the SE. That means proper groundswell energy, with combined energy hitting a solid 215. Wind is light and cross-off, making for clean conditions. For a beach/jetty setup, that long period might make it break a bit straight, but the quality of the wave and the easy paddling should make up for it. This is the best we’ve got, and it’s still considered “good surf conditions.” It’s a promising day, but it’s over a week away so the forecast could shift a little.

The rest of the second week is more of the same – small, weak, and messy. Thursday and Friday mornings see a little energy but it’s either onshore or cross-on, and the swell is too small to care about.

So to wrap it up: the first week and a half is a write-off. Don’t even bother. But keep an eye on the morning of Sunday, 30th August for a tiny window, and circle Wednesday morning, 2nd September as your best bet. It’s a long way out, so don’t hold me to it, but it’s got the right vibes for a decent session. Crowds are likely at Jenkinson’s when it’s good, but for that long-period groundswell, you might find a clean one.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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