Surf Forecasts:
Sands surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 6s period, E swell with 247 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Sands this week:
The surf forecast for Sands over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Sands in the next 16 days are 1.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this forecast is a dud. Let’s get into it.
The first chance to surf is Thursday morning, 27 August, but don’t get your hopes up. We’ve got a weak 2ft ESE swell with a short 8-second period and a cross-shore breeze. The wave energy is barely there at 77, and the water temp is about average for the time of year—nothing special. It’s a mess.
The only real standout is Friday morning, 28 August. That’s when the wind goes glassy from the west, just 5 km/h, and the swell cleans up to 2ft from the SE, still 8 seconds. The energy creeps up to 97. It’s small, yeah, but for a beginner at Sands (Sands-1), that’s about as good as it gets. The break is inconsistent, so don’t expect a ton of waves, but with that glassy surface, it’ll be clean and fun.
After that, it’s a slow decline. Saturday through Monday, the swell drops to 2ft and below, with clean but tiny waves and energy in the 20s and 30s. Not worth it.
Then we hit a big gap. From Tuesday, 1 September, through to Tuesday, 8 September, it’s all poor conditions—onshore winds and chop. The swell does spike on Thursday, 3 September, hitting 8ft from the ENE, but with a short 8-second period and a cross-onshore wind, it’s just a choppy, ugly wall. The energy hits 768, but that’s kite-surfing territory, not a paddle session. That size is for experts only, and the quality is awful.
By Wednesday, 9 September, the swell is back to knee-high, and the wind is onshore again. The best session after that first Friday is Tuesday morning, 8 September, when we get a clean 3ft from the east with a 5-second period and a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy is 76, and it’s surfable but very ordinary. If you’re itching, that’s your next best bet.
So, the call is clear: Friday morning, 28 August, is your window. Glassy, clean, and small—perfect for a beginner. Everything else is a bust until the second week of September, and even then, it’s nothing to write home about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri night, min 21°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | E 4 | E 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 68 | 62 | 67 | 174 | 70 | 59 | 51 | 42 | 41 | 30 | 33 | 25 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 48 | 120 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 8:54PM1.12m | 9:19AM0.98m | 9:31PM1.14m | 9:55AM1.03m | 10:07PM1.13m | 10:30AM1.07m | 10:43PM1.12m | 11:05AM1.10m | 11:21PM1.08m | 11:44AM1.12m | 00:04AM1.03m | 12:27PM1.12m | 00:53AM0.98m | ||||||
Low Tide | 3:11AM0.03m | 3:19PM0.08m | 3:50AM-0.00m | 4:02PM0.06m | 4:27AM-0.02m | 4:44PM0.05m | 5:02AM-0.03m | 5:24PM0.05m | 5:36AM-0.02m | 6:06PM0.06m | 6:11AM0.00m | 6:50PM0.09m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | 7:37 | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 29 | 27 | 22 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 7 | S 4 | SE 7 | S 5 | SE 12 |
| kJ | 68 | 62 | 67 | 174 | 70 | 59 | 51 | 42 | 41 | 30 | 33 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 23 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 8 | E 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | — | E 9 | SE 8 | — | SE 7 | S 4 | SE 13 | S 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 2 | 25 | 13 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 15 | — | 17 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 15 | SE 10 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | 8 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | SSW 5 | — | S 6 | NNE 2 | NNE 3 | — | — | — | S 4 | S 5 | — | S 5 | — | ENE 2 | E 4 | E 6 |
| kJ | 6 | 15 | 42 | 35 | — | 11 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 25 | 15 | — | 10 | — | 1 | 48 | 120 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 195 | 342 | 1210 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 27 | 134 | 170 | 170 | 2714 | 426 | 170 | 993 | 383 | 546 | 374 | 178 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Sands surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Sands Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Sands provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Sands can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Sands 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 (Sands) 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 Sands 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.
Sands is 8 km (5 miles) from Long Branch. If you plan a vacation in New Jersey, look for hotels and other accommodation in Long Branch. Long Branch has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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