The South Jetty Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.39° N 74.39° W

The South Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 21 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The South Jetty sea temperature is
25.0° C
2.1° 

The South Jetty surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The South Jetty surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, S swell with 552 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period with SSE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The South Jetty this week:

The surf forecast for The South Jetty over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The South Jetty in the next 16 days are 2.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 11AM. 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Wed 22nd Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 8s
Best Surf 8PM (Wed 22nd Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 8s
Most Powerful11AM (Wed 22nd Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The South Jetty over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for The South Jetty. I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a real struggle, and we’re not going to see any proper waves worth getting excited about.

The pattern is flat and frustrated. Most of the time, the swell is tiny and the wind is just ugly. The first few days, from the 21st through the 24th, are a write-off. We’ve got thunderstorms, gusty cross-onshore winds, and a messy, choppy ocean. The swell is small and weak, with combined energy barely cracking 100 (89 at its best on Tuesday afternoon). It’s just not worth paddling out.

The only real blip of hope comes on Wednesday the 22nd morning. That’s where we see a 7ft S swell rolling in with a period of 8 seconds and a cross-offshore WSW wind. The wave energy jumps up to moderate (850), and the conditions are clean. For a brief moment, it looks surfable. But the rating is still marginal, and by afternoon it drops right back off. The rest of the week is a slow grind of tiny, choppy junk.

We then hit a massive gap with absolutely nothing of note. From the 23rd right through to the 2nd of August, it’s a desert. Small, weak swells with poor wind – cross-shore, onshore, and lumpy. No standouts at all. The water temp is sitting at 77°F on the 21st, which is a notable 4°F warmer than normal for this time of year – feels like a warm bath, but that’s the only highlight.

The next time we see a pulse is on Sunday the 2nd of August. We get a 3ft E swell in the morning, with clean conditions from a light cross-offshore W wind. The energy is back up to 153 – moderate but still not strong. The afternoon on the 2nd is actually the best of a bad bunch. A 4ft ENE swell with a clean, moderate offshore WNW wind. The wave energy is 131, and it’s described as surfable but very ordinary. It’s the only “surfable” moment in the whole forecast.

After that, it fades back into tiny, weak, cross-onshore slop for the rest of the window. The period stays short, usually 5 to 8 seconds, so there’s no real power or shape to get excited about.

Look, there’s no standout here. If I had to pick the best on offer, it’s the Wednesday morning the 22nd – but even that is marginal. The Sunday the 2nd of August afternoon is the next best, with clean offshore wind, but the swell is small. It’s a frustrating run. The South Jetty is consistent, so it won’t stay this poor forever, but for now, honestly, I’d leave the board at home.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 46mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri afternoon, min 20°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Sat morning, light winds from the WSW by Sun night).

Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
S
5
1.2
S
6
1.4
S
8
2
S
8
1.1
S
8
0.9
SSE
8
0.8
SSE
8
0.8
ENE
5
0.6
ENE
5
0.9
ENE
5
1.1
E
6
0.9
ENE
6
0.9
ENE
5
0.8
ENE
6
0.6
SE
8
0.5
SE
8
0.5
SE
8
0.9
SSW
5
0.9
SSW
5
0.8
SSW
5
1.1
SSW
4
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
28
89
227
552
173
110
73
32
16
37
86
68
37
45
35
32
31
35
42
30
44
Wind (km/h)
25
SSW
30
SSW
25
SW
25
WSW
20
WSW
20
N
20
NE
15
E
10
NE
20
ENE
20
ENE
20
ENE
30
ENE
25
NE
10
NNE
15
ENE
15
SSE
10
SW
15
SSE
20
SSE
20
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
2:39PM1.23m
2:47AM1.01m
3:34PM1.22m
3:48AM0.94m
4:31PM1.23m
4:50AM0.91m
5:23PM1.25m
5:44AM0.91m
6:10PM1.29m
6:32AM0.94m
6:56PM1.33m
7:20AM0.97m
7:41PM1.37m
Low Tide
8:04AM0.18m
8:47PM0.34m
8:50AM0.25m
9:50PM0.37m
9:42AM0.30m
10:52PM0.37m
10:35AM0.32m
11:46PM0.35m
11:26AM0.31m
00:36AM0.30m
12:13PM0.28m
1:22AM0.25m
12:59PM0.25m
2:04AM0.20m
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
heavy rain
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:47
5:48
5:48
5:50
5:50
5:50
5:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:19
8:19
8:17
8:16
8:15
8:15
8:15
 mm
2
5
38
1
Temp °C
27
27
23
25
28
27
22
22
22
22
23
22
21
22
21
22
23
23
24
24
25
Feels °C
27
27
22
23
27
27
20
19
21
19
20
20
18
18
19
21
21
22
23
23
26
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the The South Jetty Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for The South Jetty provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The South Jetty can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The South Jetty 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 (The South Jetty) 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 The South Jetty 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.

The South Jetty is 4 km (2 miles) from Atlantic City. If you plan a vacation in New Jersey, look for hotels and other accommodation in Atlantic City. Atlantic City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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