Manasquan Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s your boy Rusty with the long-range look at Manasquan Inlet. Let’s be straight with you: this is a tough stretch for the next two weeks. The surf is mostly flat or tiny, with a whole lot of poor conditions in between. It’s going to be a real test of patience.

Right now, it’s Saturday afternoon, and we’re looking at a tiny 1-foot easterly windswell with a weak 6-second period. The combined energy is just 19 – that’s barely a ripple. The water is a very warm 75°F, and that’s 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year, which is notable. But it’s cloudy with an onshore breeze, so it’s a flat, glassy mess. Not worth paddling out.

Sunday morning (6th) brings a bit more size, up to 3 feet from the ENE, but the period is a short 5 seconds and the wind is a strong cross-onshore at 12 mph. It’s choppy and messy. The energy is only 47. That afternoon, the wind backs off a little, but it’s still onshore and weak. Monday the 7th has a little burst of clean conditions with a NNW cross-offshore wind, but the swell is only 2 feet with a 9-second period. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride.

From Tuesday the 8th all the way through to Saturday the 12th, the swell stays below 2 feet. The energy readings are in the teens and twenties. There’s a brief moment Thursday afternoon (10th) with a 3-foot southerly swell and a light offshore wind, making it “surfable but very ordinary.” That’s the best of the first week, and it’s still not good.

The second week starts with no real change. From Sunday the 13th to Wednesday the 16th, we’re stuck with tiny, weak swell. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and the energy never gets above 73. It’s a real desert.

Now, the standout. The only real window of hope comes on Thursday, the 17th of September. A big pulse of swell arrives – 10 feet from the ENE with an 8-second period. The combined energy jumps to 1180, which is a solid, powerful amount of water moving. The morning has a light cross-shore breeze, and conditions are described as “marginal or questionable tide.” But that’s 10 feet at Manasquan Inlet. That’s a big, powerful wave. It’s only for experts – beginners stay well clear. The wind is light, so it might clean up. However, the afternoon gets ugly with a 19 mph cross-onshore wind and energy at 1454, making it a lumpy, blown-out mess. The morning is the only real shot.

After that, the swell drops quickly. Friday the 18th is still big at 8 feet to 8 feet, but the wind is onshore and strong, making it unrideable. Saturday the 19th has a chance in the afternoon with a 5-foot ESE swell, a light offshore wind, and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions” with a score of 3. The energy is 515, which is moderate. That Saturday afternoon looks like the cleanest, most rideable swell of the whole period, but it’s still a long way out.

So, to boil it down: the entire first week and most of the second week are a washout. The only real flash of hope is Thursday morning, the 17th, for the big-wave crew, and Saturday afternoon, the 19th, for a cleaner, smaller session. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because this one’s a long wait.

Rusty.

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