Surf Forecasts:
North Wildwood surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 11s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period, S swell with 83 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 11s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for North Wildwood this week:
The surf forecast for North Wildwood over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North Wildwood in the next 16 days are 1.2m 5s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North Wildwood over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for North Wildwood over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with no real surf to speak of for the first week and a half.
The forecast starts off weak. Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th are a write-off, with tiny, messy waves and poor conditions. The only half-decent moment in the early days is Monday morning, the 17th, when we get a bit of a clean-up with a gentle offshore breeze from the WNW. But even then, the swell is only 3 ft from the S, with a weak combined energy of just 62. It’s surfable, but barely worth dragging the board out for.
From there, it’s a real grind. The whole week from Tuesday the 18th through to Friday the 28th of August is basically flat or offering tiny, poor-quality dribble. You’ll see a few moments with clean conditions from light offshore winds, but the swell is consistently under 2 ft and the energy readings are low, in the teens and thirties. It’s frustrating.
Finally, there’s a tiny flicker of life late in the run. Wednesday the 26th afternoon brings a 1 ft swell from the SE, but with a very long period of 16 seconds, the energy bumps up to 73. It’s still small, but the clean offshore wind from the WNW will make it look a bit better. Thursday the 27th is the best we’ve got in the whole window, with a 2 ft SE swell, a period of 12 seconds, and moderate offshore winds from the WNW. The combined energy hits 102, which is at least moderate. It’s still small, but for this stretch, that’s your standout. Don’t expect much; it’s a beginner-friendly wave at best.
The last few days of August and into the 31st see a jump in swell size, with 5 ft, 5 ft, and even 6 ft from the ENE and E. The energy readings get up into the 160s, 250s, and 318. But the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the conditions are described as poor. It’s a blown-out, choppy mess. For a sandbar break like North Wildwood, that’s a kite-surfing kind of setup, not a paddle-surfing one.
So, bottom line: the first week and a half is a total bust. There’s a single, barely surfable day on Monday the 17th, and then a small, clean window on Thursday the 27th that’s the best of a bad lot. After that, the swell shows up, but the wind ruins it. It’s a tough time to be a surfer in North Wildwood.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Sun night, light winds from the NNW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Wed morning, fresh winds from the NE by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | S 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ESE 8 | E 6 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3 | 19 | 71 | 37 | 33 | 30 | 17 | 17 | 29 | 34 | 30 | 20 | 18 | 7 | 25 | 14 | 33 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:30AM1.44m | 11:41PM1.34m | 12:18PM1.40m | 00:30AM1.23m | 1:05PM1.35m | 1:19AM1.13m | 1:53PM1.30m | 2:09AM1.05m | 2:41PM1.26m | 3:02AM1.00m | 3:33PM1.23m | 4:00AM0.98m | 4:30PM1.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:42PM0.06m | 6:00AM0.02m | 6:29PM0.15m | 6:40AM0.12m | 7:19PM0.23m | 7:24AM0.22m | 8:18PM0.30m | 8:17AM0.29m | 9:22PM0.33m | 9:19AM0.34m | 10:24PM0.32m | 10:20AM0.34m | 11:18PM0.28m | ||||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 24 | 22 | 21 | 26 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | SE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | E 5 | ENE 5 | E 5 | E 6 | ESE 8 |
1 | — | 11 | 37 | 33 | 30 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 34 | 30 | 20 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | — | SE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | — | — | — | S 3 | — | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 5 |
1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 5 | 18 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 13 | SE 9 | SE 11 | — | — | — | S 5 | SE 6 | E 16 | E 15 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | S 6 | SE 13 | SE 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | 29 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | S 5 | W 3 | — | — | WNW 2 | — | — | — | — | S 3 | — | NE 3 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | — | — | SSE 5 | SSE 3 |
3 | 19 | 71 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 4 | 25 | 14 | 33 | — | — | 3 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1387 | 1190 | 3109 | 267 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 91 | 365 | 0 | 52 | 539 | 220 | 195 | 25 | 122 | 508 | 1127 | 220 | 267 | 255 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the North Wildwood Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for North Wildwood provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at North Wildwood can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our North Wildwood surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (North Wildwood) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for North Wildwood may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
North Wildwood is 36 km (22 miles) from Ocean City. If you plan a vacation in New Jersey, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ocean City. Ocean City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











