Manasquan Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks at Manasquan Inlet are looking pretty bleak for anything that’ll get your heart racing. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak surf ahead, a real flat spell that’s going to test your patience. For the most part, we’re talking knee-to-waist-high dribble if we’re lucky, with a lot of days offering next to nothing.

We start off this Saturday afternoon with the water at a comfortable 76°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so that’s something. But that’s where the good news ends. The swell is a meager 1ft from the southeast with a short, weak 8-second period and the energy is basically non-existent at 50. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, but there’s just no power to the waves. It’s clean, but it's poor.

Sunday morning brings a slight bump to 2ft from the south-southeast, but the period drops to a junky 7 seconds. The energy is still weak at 49. At least the wind is offshore and light, which will keep the surface glassy. It’s surfable, but I wouldn’t call it good. Sunday afternoon is more of the same, 3ft from the south with a 6-second period and 81 energy. It’s still small and messy.

Then we hit a real dead zone. From Monday, the 10th, right through to the following Tuesday, the 19th, it’s just a wasteland. We’re looking at waves mostly under 2ft, periods under 8 seconds, and energy readings often dropping below 20. There are occasional windows of clean conditions, like Tuesday morning with a cross-offshore wind, or that glassy spell Saturday afternoon, but there’s simply no swell to ride. It’s a solid week and a half of close to nothing. You’d be better off checking the tide pools.

Finally, around Thursday the 20th, we start to see a pulse of energy. The swell direction swings around to the southeast, and the period starts to lengthen. Thursday afternoon sees 2ft at 11 seconds with energy jumping to 119, and it’s glassy. It’s a start. Friday the 21st morning builds on that with 3ft from the southeast, 12-second period, and the energy pushing up to 240. It's still small but the longer period means it might have a bit more push. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it won't be perfect.

Saturday the 22nd is where things start to get interesting. The morning rain clears, and the afternoon looks like the pick of the bunch, with 3ft from the east, an 8-second period, and energy around 167. The wind is light and cross-offshore, leaving the surface clean. This is the closest we get to a decent wave in this whole window and even that’s a small, clean beach break. The direction is a bit more easterly which is good, but the period is down. It’s still a far cry from good.

The final day of the forecast, Sunday the 23rd, shows 3ft from the east, but it’s going to be blown out by a strong north-northwest cross-offshore wind at 16-22 mph. It will be clean, but that wind is going to make it tough to manage.

So, there you have it. A long, drawn-out flat spell followed by a tease of a small, clean wave on the 22nd. For a break like the Inlet, this is just how it goes sometimes. Don't hold your breath for anything epic. Forecasts can change, and with the consistency this spot usually has, it tends not to stay this poor for long. Hang tight.

Rusty.

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