Manasquan Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break this down in feet and degrees. It’s a pretty bleak outlook for the next couple of weeks. There’s a big gap at the start where there’s just nothing.

The Overall Pattern

We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak surf. The water is feeling warm right now, about 75°F at the start, which is a few degrees warmer than usual for this time of year. But for the first week and a half, it’s all knee-high slop with poor conditions. The wind is all over the place, but the swell just isn’t showing up. The combined energy is mostly in the single digits or low double digits – we’re talking 28 (weak) to 17 (weak) – just no power.

The Breakdown

September 4th – September 14th: This is a dead zone. From Friday morning through to Monday the 14th, every single report is “poor surf conditions.” We’re looking at swells between 0.3ft and 3ft, but they’re short-period, wind-affected messes. The biggest looking day in that stretch is Sunday the 6th, with a 3ft swell from the east, but it’s a short 6-second period and cross-onshore wind, turning it into a choppy, junky closeout. Not worth paddling out for. The energy is weak (83, 47, 52) – just enough to mess up the surface, not enough to ride.

The One Standout – Tuesday, 15 September Morning

Here’s the only window that looks even a little interesting. On Tuesday morning, the 15th, we get a 3ft swell from the SSE, with a 6-second period. The wind is offshore from the WSW at 6 mph, leaving the surface clean. The combined energy bumps up to 72 (moderate). It’s not a day to call in sick for, but it’s the first time the conditions are actually surfable. The swell is small, so it’s friendly for all levels, but the period is short, so the waves will be a bit fat and mushy. No crowds mentioned, so you might have it quiet.

The Rest of the Second Week

After that Tuesday morning, it falls back into the doldrums. Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th stay tiny, with the surfable rating on Thursday being a “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – 0.7ft at a 13-second period. That’s a long period, but for a beach break, that long period will just make it straight and fat. The energy is only 47 (weak). Friday the 18th is glassy in the morning but still only 2ft.

Honestly, for the whole 16-day window, the only morning to make a real plan for is Tuesday, 15 September. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the best we’re going to get. Everything else is a flat spell.

Rusty

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