LBI Long Beach Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for LBI Long Beach Island.

Honestly, mate, it’s a pretty grim run for the next week and a half. We’ve got a long stretch of weak, messy surf with hardly any energy behind it. The water is sitting at 76°F which is much warmer than usual for this time of year – a solid 4°F above the norm, so you can leave the wetsuit at home. But for the next week, it’s flat to pathetic. From Monday 13 July right through to the end of Sunday 19 July, the swell is tiny, with combined energy values often in the 20s and 30s (weak) and the wind is mostly onshore or cross. The odd morning shows a clean look, like Wednesday 15 July morning with a cross-off breeze and a tiny 2ft swell from the SSW, but it’s barely rideable. Friday 17 July afternoon gives us a glassy 2ft from the south, but it’s so small it’s almost a lake. There’s just nothing to get excited about.

Then we hit Monday 20 July. The swell finally shows some life. The morning brings a 6ft pulse from the ENE, with combined energy jumping to 287 (moderate). The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect, but it’s a real step up. Monday afternoon pushes the swell to 7ft from the ENE and energy hits 461 (strong). That’s a serious amount of water for the sandbars, but the wind is directly onshore from the SE at 9 mph, which will mess up the face. This is still a beach break, and with that size and onshore wind, it’s going to be a close-out fest for the experts only. Honestly, for paddle surfing, it’s a tough call, but with that strong onshore wind and decent wave height, this setup could be more interesting for kite surfing than traditional surfing.

Tuesday 21 July morning still has 5ft from the east (energy 358 – moderate), but the wind is onshore from the SE at 6 mph. The afternoon drops to 4ft and gets choppy. Wednesday 22 July morning is the first real standout of the entire forecast. The swell is 4ft from the east, but the wind goes light offshore from the NW at 3 mph, and the energy is still moderate at 182. The wave comment calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – but the offshore wind will make it clean. For a sandbar setup, that’s your best bet in the whole 16 days. The swell period is only 6 seconds, so it’s short-period windswell, meaning it’ll be a bit sectiony, but it’s rideable. Wednesday afternoon goes glassy with a 3ft SSE swell (period 8 seconds) and energy of 158, also clean.

After that, it fades again. Thursday 23 July through Monday 27 July is mostly small, weak, and wind-affected. Thursday 27 July morning offers one more glimmer: a glassy 4ft from the SSE (period 7 seconds, energy 130) but it’s described as “surfable but very ordinary.” The rest is onshore junk.

The long-range stuff from 25 July onward is a write-off: strong winds, risk of thunderstorms, and messy conditions. There’s a brief window late on 27 July, but it’s not worth planning around.

So, the standout moment is Wednesday 22 July morning. That’s your best chance. The offshore wind will keep it clean, and the 4ft east swell has enough push for a fun session on a longboard or a fish. The water is warm, the crowds are possible at LBI, but with this poor run, it might be quiet. Don’t expect barrels – it’s a sandbar with short-period swell – but it’ll be the best of a bad bunch.

Rusty.

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