Lbi 82st Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast, and it’s a rough one. Honestly, for the next couple of weeks, we’re looking at a whole lot of nothing. We’re talking about a solid run of blown-out, gutless conditions that’ll have you wondering if summer’s just given up on us. There’s no real swell on the horizon, and what little there is, is coming in with short, weak periods and wonky winds.

The first real hope of a wave doesn't even show up until Monday, August 3rd. Before that, Sunday, August 2nd is a complete write-off. We've got a weak 3ft SSE windswell with a terrible 4-second period and a cross-on breeze that will chop it to bits. The combined energy is weak, sitting at only 22. It’s just messy. Not worth the paddle.

Monday, August 3rd is when things get interesting, if only for a moment. The swell builds a touch to 5ft, but the period is still only 8 seconds. The wind is a cross-offshore though, which is a big positive. It will keep the wave face clean, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 256. This is a surfable window, but it’s still going to be on the ordinary side. Monday afternoon stays similar at 4ft, with a bit more wind but still clean.

After that little tease, it’s back to the grind. Tuesday, August 4th through Friday, August 7th is a full-blown desert. We're talking swell that never gets above 4ft, periods stuck at a junky 6-7 seconds, and cross-shore winds that will make it a lumpy, bumpy mess. The energy drops back down to weak, hovering around 50 to 90. Honestly, looking at those conditions, Lbi 82st (Long Beach Island) might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing because the cross-shore wind will be howling while the waves stay small and sloppy.

The next chance for anything worth getting excited about comes on Saturday, August 8th. The morning looks tidy with a light cross-offshore wind and 3ft of swell, giving the place a clean look. The energy is moderate at 129. It’s not going to be pumping, but it’s clean and surfable. But get out there early, because the afternoon wind swings around and gets fresh and cross, destroying the surface again.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is just more of the same: tiny waves, poor winds, and low energy. We see moments where the wind is offshore, which leaves the water surface clean, but with wave heights around 2ft to 3ft and periods of 6 seconds, there’s just no push or power. Monday, August 10th morning has clean conditions, but the swell is still tiny. Everything is an absolute grinder.

Around August 11th and 12th, the swell direction wobbles around but the size stays tiny, barely pushing 4ft and with a short period. The energy picks up a bit to a moderate 137 on the 11th, but the winds are all over the place, even going straight onshore. Not worth it.

The middle of August looks like a total washout. On August 14th, there’s a morning with a slight air and glassy conditions, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7ft. You could count the ripples. August 16th has a similar story, with a clean 2ft on the morning, but it’s just too small to be any fun. After that, it’s back to onshores and nothingness. The last day of the window, August 17th, shows no change.

So here’s the deal. There are only two real, worthy windows in the next 16 days. The standout, if you can call it that, is Monday, August 3rd. It’s the biggest swell we see, with moderate energy and a clean, cross-offshore wind. It’s your best bet for an actual wave. The other is Saturday morning, August 8th, where the light offshore wind will make the most of what looks like the poorest quality swell. It’s all about snagging those clean conditions before the winds turn.

Water temp is sitting at 76°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. The long-range stuff is just a promise of more of the same, so I wouldn't hold your breath. Get out there Monday if you can, or early Saturday. Otherwise, we wait for the patterns to shift.

Rusty.

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