Manasquan Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the Jersey coast has cookin’ for us. We’re talkin’ Manasquan Inlet.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this isn’t a week for the highlight reel. The energy just isn’t there for any kind of proper session. We’re lookin’ at a long gap of weak, small surf. The swell’s barely mustering up any energy; combined energy readings are mostly in the double digits, just 38, the occasional 135, but it’s all short-period windswell at 6 seconds. That’s not gonna put a smile on your face.

Wednesday afternoon (August 5th) kicks things off, but it’s an immediate letdown. The water temp’s sittin’ at 76°, which is a touch warmer than usual, which is nice, but that’s the only nice thing. You got a 2ft swell out of the SE with a 20 km/h cross-on breeze. That’s a choppy, messy no-go.

We scrape through Thursday morning (August 6th) with a tiny 4ft S swell, still only 6 seconds. The combined energy bumps up to 135 (moderate), and with a 15 km/h cross-offshore breeze, it’s clean. It’s surfable, but ordinary. That’s the best we’ve got for the next while, and it ain’t much. Friday and Saturday are the same story – waist-high slop with cross-off winds. The little spikes of energy just don’t last.

We get a flash of hope Sunday morning (August 9th). A 2ft SSE swell, short period at 7 seconds, but the wind goes W at 10 km/h – true offshore! It’s clean. The energy is weak at 51, but if you’re desperate for a log, you might paddle out. Still, nothin’ to write home about.

After that, it’s a total ghost town for days. Monday the 10th through to Monday the 17th of August is a dead run. The swell drops underwater, the energy readings are tiny, and the wind is all over the place – cross-off, cross-on, you name it. It’s all poor surf conditions.

Finally, on Tuesday morning (August 18th), there’s a blip: a 1ft SE swell with a 9-second period. That’s a longer period for this stretch, which suggests a little more shape. But the combined energy is just 13. You’re gonna be strugglin’ to find a ride.

Then late in the window, on Wednesday afternoon (August 19th), the wind cranks up from the S at 35 km/h with a 4ft S windswell and a combined energy of 81. That’s not surf. That’s a kiteboarding setup, not paddle surfing. Stick to the log or stay home.

Best of a bad bunch: If you absolutely have to get wet, Thursday morning (August 6th) is the standout, but just barely. The 4ft S swell (135 energy) with the 15 km/h cross-off breeze at Manasquan Inlet gives you the cleanest conditions in the whole 16-day window. It’s a beach and jetty setup, exposed to the SSE, which lines up okay. It’s not gonna be pumping, but you might snag a couple. For the rest of the month, it’s a waiting game. This area knows how to turn it around, so don’t lose hope.

- Rusty

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