Manasquan Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's look at the Manasquan Inlet forecast. To be straight with you, it's a lean stretch ahead. The first day with any surf worth mentioning is Saturday, August 8th, and even then it's a long wait for anything that gets the heart pumping.

We're looking at over a week of small, weak swell and mostly cross-off or onshore winds. The wave energy is a joke, barely into the double digits most days, with combined energy values sitting between 11 and 70 (weak). The swell is short-period, around 5 to 6 seconds, which is just windswash – no real push or form to it. Water temperature sits at 75°, which is about 2° warmer than average for this time of year, so it's a touch above normal.

The first real nod is Saturday morning, August 8th. You'll see a tiny 2ft SSE swell with a 6-second period. The energy is weak (50). In the afternoon, it shifts to a gentle offshore wind from the WSW, cleaning up a 3ft S swell. It's *surfable but very ordinary*. On Sunday, August 9th, we get a similar deal: a 2ft SSE swell in the morning with a clean offshore wind from the W, and a 3ft S swell in the afternoon with a cross-off NW breeze. The period bumps up to 7 seconds, giving a tiny bit more shape, but the energy is still low (52 and 92). This is the pick of the litter, but it's still a longboard or a foamy kind of day. The combined energy is moderate however, the highest in the week (92).

After that, the bottom drops out. From Monday, August 10th through the rest of the period, we're in the gutter. The swell drops to 1ft or smaller, period is all over the place, and the wind turns onshore, cross, or just plain messy. There's a tease of a 9-second period swell from the SE showing up on the 14th, but it's a pathetic 0.5ft to 2ft – no energy (11 to 22). The rest of the run through to the end of the forecast on August 21st is "poor surf conditions" written all over it. The wind is either howling from the SSW at 15-22 mph or blowing straight onshore.

There is no standout. The best on offer is a toss-up between the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning sessions. The Sunday morning has the cleanest look with that offshore wind and a slightly better swell period, but the Saturday afternoon has a slightly bigger swell. If I had to pick, I'd say Saturday 8th afternoon is the one to try, just for the glassy offshore conditions on that 3ft S swell. But don't expect any barrels – it's a knee-high, gentle wave for the log.

Given the persistent small swell and poor quality, and the fact that this is a beach/jetty break, the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for almost the entire 16-day window.

Stay patient, or go for a paddle. The ocean will sort itself out eventually.

Rusty.

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