Lavallette Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer for Lavallette over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this is a rough stretch for the most part. We’re looking at a long, dry spell before anything even worth paddling out for shows up, and even then, it’s not going to be anything to write home about.

The first real chance of a wave comes on the morning of Sunday, July 19th. Up until then, it’s flat, weak, and messy. From the 14th all the way through the 18th, the surf is just poor – tiny, wind-affected slop with combined energy readings barely nudging into the forties. You’re better off fixing your dings or taking a long walk on the beach. There’s a handful of glassy moments on the 17th and 18th mornings, but with swell heights around 1 ft to 2 ft and periods of 4 to 6 seconds, there’s literally nothing to ride.

Finally, on the morning of Sunday, July 19th, we get a bit of pulse. The swell is a marginal 3 ft from the SSE with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 91 – still weak, but it’s something. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNW, so the conditions will be clean. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and that’s the truth. It’s a poor outlook, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a week.

Monday, July 20th, shows a little more energy. The morning has a 4 ft SSE swell with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 331 – that’s moderate energy. The wind is a cross-shore breeze from the S at 9 mph, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but it’s surfable. The afternoon stiffens up with the wind, turning it messy.

Tuesday, July 21st, the swell builds bigger, but the quality drops. Morning sees 4 ft from the S with a short 7-second period, and 221 units of energy. The wind is a cross-offshore from the WSW at 12 mph, keeping it clean. But the afternoon is a no-go: 6 ft from the S, but with a fresh 19 mph SW wind and a period of just 7 seconds, it’s going to be a lumpy, blown-out mess. That 6 ft is pushing into the “too big for beginners” territory, but the quality is so poor it’s not even good for the experienced crew.

Wednesday, July 22nd, is your best bet in the whole outlook. The morning has a clean 3 ft SSE swell with a 9-second period, and 176 units of energy. The wind is offshore from the W at 12 mph, giving you moderate offshore and clean conditions. The afternoon holds up with a similar 3 ft swell and the same offshore WNW wind. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but honestly, for this stretch, this is the standout. The swell direction (SSE) is a good match for Lavallette’s optimum SE swell direction. The offshore wind is a major positive, keeping the waves clean. The crowd situation is listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few out, but it won’t be a zoo.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. From the 23rd through the 27th, it’s all poor, small, onshore slop. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the swell heights are under 3 ft. The energy readings are all in the weak 50-80 range.

Then we get a glimmer of hope on Tuesday, July 28th. The morning has a 6 ft S swell with a 7-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 412 – moderate to strong. The wind is a cross-offshore from the NNW at 9 mph, and the wave comment says “expect good surf conditions” with a score of 2. That’s a big call. The wind will keep it clean, but the swell period is short (7 seconds), so it’ll be a bit fat and lack the punch of a longer-period swell. Still, this is the biggest, cleanest swell of the window. The 6 ft is getting into expert territory, so if you’re a beginner, sit this one out.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best on offer is the morning of Wednesday, July 22nd, for a clean, offshore, 3 ft SSE swell. If you want bigger and don’t mind a shorter period, the morning of Tuesday, July 28th, with a 6 ft clean swell is the other standout. Everything else is a lot of waiting for very little reward.

Rusty.

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