Manasquan Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the Jersey Shore. Let's get straight to it.

First off, I gotta be honest with you, it's a grim stretch ahead. For the next 16 days, we're looking at a real flat spell. The swell energy is just not there, and the wind is all over the place, mostly onshore or cross-shore. You're gonna be staring at a lot of small, weak, and choppy waves. The water is a real standout though, coming in at a balmy 78°F, which is a whopping 5°F warmer than usual for this time of year. It's like bathwater out there, but there's nothing to ride in it.

The only spot that gets a mention is Manasquan Inlet. It's a beach and jetty setup that's very consistent for exposure, but that doesn't mean much right now. The first few days, from Thursday the 20th through the end of the month, are a washout. Thursday morning has a tiny 1 ft swell from the southeast, but it's a "poor surf conditions" call. The wind is light and glassy, which is a major positive, but 1 ft with a 9-second period is just not enough to do anything with. The combined energy at that point is a weak 23. That's the highlight of the whole week, and it's not much of one.

Thursday afternoon through Friday, the swell gets a little push from the east-northeast, hitting 3 ft, but the period drops to a pathetic 5 seconds. That's pure wind chop, and the wind is howling out of the northeast at 16 mph. It's a total mess. The combined energy climbs to 56-58, but that's all from the wind, not a real swell. It's not worth paddling out for.

Saturday the 22nd offers a tiny glimmer. The afternoon has a 3 ft swell from the east-northeast, but with a short 5-second period. The wind goes light and cross-offshore, making it clean. The reports call it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It's a 1 out of 10, but it's the best we've got. For a skilled surfer, you might find a half-decent closeout on the jetty, but it's not going to be a session to remember.

Sunday the 23rd through the end of the first week is more of the same: tiny swell, poor wind. The only thing to note is that from Sunday afternoon through Monday, we get a clean offshore wind from the west and west-northwest, but the swell is too small to make anything of it.

The second week is a barren wasteland. From Tuesday the 25th of August all the way through Thursday the 4th of September, every single forecast is "poor surf conditions." The swell is microscopic, the period is short, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore. The combined energy values are all in the 20s to 70s, which is just weak. The only real change is the wind, which goes to a strong, clean cross-offshore from the northwest on Thursday the 3rd of September and Friday the 4th. But the swell is still tiny, around 1 ft to 2 ft with a short period. It's a cruel joke.

Honestly, for a spot that's so consistent, a blank run like this is a bit of a surprise. But it happens. The only thing that looks even remotely interesting for the next two weeks is to maybe grab a longboard on Saturday afternoon, the 22nd of August, if you're desperate. Otherwise, the forecast is for kites, not surfboards. The wind is often strong enough to get a kite up, but the waves are too small and messy for a surfer.

Stay tuned, sometimes the long-range forecasts change, but right now, it's a tough call.

Rusty.

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