Manasquan Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the Manasquan Inlet area.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window looks like a real patience-tester. We’ve got a long, dry stretch ahead with nothing worth paddling out for until the middle of next week. From Saturday the 18th all the way through Tuesday the 21st, the surf is just a no-go. Tiny, weak, short-period windswell and messy winds are the story. You’re looking at combined energies barely cracking 50 (29-51), which is basically flat. Don’t bother.

The first real spark of hope shows up on Wednesday the 22nd. The morning kicks off with a 4ft SSE swell at 8 seconds, and the wind is clean offshore from the west at 12 mph. The wave energy jumps to 221 (moderate), and conditions are set to be clean. That’s a solid combo for an advanced spot like Manasquan Inlet (beach/jetty). It’s the standout of the whole run. The afternoon gets even better: the swell pushes to 6ft from the south, still with a clean offshore breeze (W, 16 mph), and the energy rockets up to 554 (moderate). This is the best on offer – bigger, cleaner, and the wind is your friend. It’s the highlight of the period. The water temp is sitting at 74°, which is about 2° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s a touch on the balmy side.

But don’t get too comfortable. By Thursday morning the 23rd, the wind swings back onshore, and the quality drops back to poor. The afternoon has a bit of energy (327), but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. That moment of glory is gone.

From Friday the 24th onwards, we’re back into a rough patch. The swell sticks around, but the wind is rubbish – mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the east and southeast. The combined energy numbers are all over the place (from 69 up to 327), but with the wind destroying the face, it’s just not surfable. By the end of the month and into the start of August, we’re looking at waves that are either too small, too messy, or both. The swell does get a bit bigger around Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th (6ft to 6ft from the ENE), but with onshore winds and that short period, it’s going to be a lumpy, blown-out mess. For a beach/jetty setup like this, that kind of wind and swell combo is more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle guys.

So, to wrap it up: you’ve got one day to make it happen – Wednesday the 22nd. The morning is good, the afternoon is even better. After that, it’s a long wait. The gap between quality surf is nearly a week from the start of the forecast, and then another long stretch of poor conditions follows. It’s a tough outlook, but it won’t stay this way forever. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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