Manasquan Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the chatter and talk about what’s on offer at Manasquan Inlet.

Honestly, looking at the next 16 days, it’s a rough stretch for paddle surfing. The first real chance to even call it ‘surfable’ doesn’t show up until Thursday morning, September 17th, and even then, it’s a low-energy, ordinary little wave. There’s a long gap of nothing worth mentioning before that. From now until Wednesday the 16th, it’s all tiny, weak, and messy with onshore or cross-shore wind. The wait is painful.

Thursday morning the 17th gives us a tiny 2 ft wave from the east, with a period of 8 seconds. The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze out of the SSW, so the surface should be clean. The combined energy is weak at (45). It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. Thursday afternoon the wind picks up, so the morning is your only window.

Then it’s back to small, poor conditions for days. The real energy starts showing up around Monday the 21st, but it’s all onshore and choppy. By Tuesday the 22nd, we’ve got 5 ft to 6 ft of easterly swell with strong onshore winds—rain too. The combined energy climbs into the moderate to strong range (201 to 244), but with that wind, it’s a washing machine. Not for paddling.

By Thursday the 24th, the swell is over 7 ft from the ESE, with periods up to 8 seconds. The energy is strong (411 to 563), but the wind is still cross-on or onshore. This is strictly for the experts, and honestly, with that wind and a beach/jetty setup, it might be more fun for the kite crowd than us.

The strongest energy hits on Friday the 25th, with 6 ft to 6 ft ESE swell, periods of 9 to 10 seconds. The combined energy spikes to 964 in the afternoon. But again, fresh cross-onshore winds ruin it. The period isn’t long enough to make it a proper groundswell, but it’s substantial. It’s a waste of good power.

The best chance for a clean wave comes late in the period, on Monday the 28th of September. The morning still has some cross-wind chop, but the afternoon turns glassy. The swell drops to 2 ft from the ESE with a 9-second period. The wind goes from a light north-easterly to glass—that’s a huge positive. The energy is weak (97), but it’ll be clean. If you can get out then, it’s your best bet for a smooth, small wave session, even if crowds are likely.

So, the standouts? None of this is firing. If you’re desperate, Thursday morning the 17th for a tiny clean wave, or Monday afternoon the 28th for a tiny glassy wave. Everything else is big, wind-blown junk. That Monday afternoon glass-off is the only time this place will feel like a surf break instead of a wind-lashed mess.

Stay patient, and keep the wax ready for that glassy window.

Rusty.

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