New Jetty/South Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’re looking at New Jetty/South Jetty, and honestly, this is a tough one. The next 16 days are a real struggle for surfable waves. The water is sitting at 68°, which is about 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a pretty notable bump, feels almost like a different season.

We start off with nothing to get excited about. From Saturday the 18th of July right through to the end of July, the story is the same: small swells, mostly cross-onshore or onshore winds, and the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions.” The waves are tiny, around 1ft to 3ft, and the wind is ruining what little shape there is. The combined energy is moderate, ranging from 156 to 465 (moderate wave energy), but it’s all wasted energy because the conditions are so messy. The wind is mostly from the WSW or SW, blowing cross-on or on, keeping things choppy and ugly.

There is a long stretch of days – over a week – where there’s literally nothing worth paddling out for. The swell periods are all over the place, from 11 seconds up to a very long 24 seconds, but with the wind and the tiny size, it just doesn’t matter. The one day that gets a “marginal” rating is Sunday the 26th of July in the morning, when the wind is light and from the WSW, but the swell is still only 2ft from the SSW and the period is 19 seconds – that’s a long period for a beach break, which can make it close out. Still, combined energy is a solid 382 (moderate wave energy), so there’s some energy in the water, but it’s a gamble.

Moving into the first week of August, things don’t improve much. Saturday the 1st of August has 3ft swell from the S, but it’s cross-on and the period drops to 13 seconds. The energy is still moderate (342 to 365), but the wind kills it. Sunday the 2nd of August is the last day we see, with a small 3ft S swell and a short period of 9 seconds – that’s weak, short-period windswell, not really worth a look.

Honestly, if you’re a surfer, this is a blank run. There’s no standout period, no one day that’s head and shoulders above the rest. The wind is consistently wrong, and the swell is too small or too wind-affected. For a beginner, the swell never gets above 3ft, so it’s not too big, but the choppy conditions make it a frustrating paddle. The only thing going for this spot is that it’s fairly consistent in terms of always having some swell, but it’s just not quality. If you were a kite surfer, with the cross-onshore winds and small, lumpy waves, this setup might actually look more interesting than it does for a paddle surfer.

I’d say keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, this one’s a hard pass. The waves are here, but the conditions aren’t. The long periods (like 19 and 24 seconds) are a tease, but at a spot like this, they’re not going to produce the goods without proper wind. No standouts here, folks. Rusty out.

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