
Surf Forecasts:
The South Jetty surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, E swell with 72 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period with E 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 Thursday (Sep 17) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The South Jetty in the next 16 days are 0.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The South Jetty over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the static and get real about what’s coming up for The South Jetty.
Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days are a tough stretch for this break. We’ve got a long, bleak run of nothing worth paddling out for. From the start of the period on September 12th, right through to the afternoon of September 20th, it’s all poor surf conditions. Swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, with weak energy readings (low two-digit numbers in the brackets), and the wind is all over the shop – onshore, cross-onshore, cross – just not what you want. The water temp is sitting at a very unusual 78°, a whopping 6° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it feels like bathwater, but that’s about the only highlight.
The best we see in that whole stretch is a tiny window on the morning of Saturday the 19th, where the swell bumps to 3 ft from the east with a short period of 6 seconds. The energy climbs to 113 (moderate), but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore breeze at 12 mph, making it choppy. It’s still rated as poor surf. Honestly, for a beach/jetty setup, that’s more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.
Then we get a bit of a pulse. Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd bring some size, with swell heights hitting 6 ft and energy readings jumping into the 400s (strong). But the wind is a messy cross-shore to cross-onshore, blowing 22-25 mph. That’s going to be lumpy, choppy, and ugly. That 6 ft at a period of 8 seconds is just not going to shape up well with that wind. Again, this looks like a kite-surfing show, not a surfing one.
The only real standout, and I mean the *only* one worth marking on your calendar, is the morning of Friday the 25th of September. We get a fresh offshore wind from the NNW at 19 mph, which should clean things right up. The swell is a modest 3 ft from the ESE with a period of 9 seconds, and the energy is 114 (moderate). It’s not going to be big, but on a consistent spot like The South Jetty, clean 3 ft surf with an offshore breeze is a solid, fun session. This is your best bet. The afternoon loses the pure offshore, but stays clean with a cross-offshore.
After that, the final days of September fade back into small, windy junk. So, for the next 16 days, hold out for that Friday the 25th morning session. It won’t be pumping, but it’ll be the cleanest you’ll see.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 18°C on Mon morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu night, min 18°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ENE 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | 31 | 43 | 24 | 23 | 42 | 21 | 27 | 27 | 18 | 62 | 59 | 51 | 60 | 60 | 42 | 41 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 25 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:35AM1.48m | 9:50PM1.42m | 10:15AM1.48m | 10:30PM1.33m | 10:55AM1.44m | 11:10PM1.23m | 11:37AM1.39m | 11:54PM1.13m | 12:22PM1.33m | 00:42AM1.04m | 1:09PM1.28m | 1:32AM0.97m | 2:01PM1.23m | 2:28AM0.92m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:30PM0.01m | 3:49AM0.01m | 4:14PM0.07m | 4:25AM0.09m | 4:59PM0.16m | 5:03AM0.20m | 5:48PM0.26m | 5:44AM0.30m | 6:41PM0.35m | 6:30AM0.38m | 7:35PM0.42m | 7:18AM0.45m | 8:33PM0.47m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:10 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | 10 | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 27 | 26 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | — | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ENE 5 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
13 | 31 | — | 24 | 15 | 42 | 21 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 59 | 51 | 60 | 60 | 42 | 41 | 17 | 8 | 14 | 14 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | S 6 | S 6 | E 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 5 | SSW 3 | SE 4 | SE 9 |
— | — | — | 15 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | — | — | SSW 4 | E 5 | — | S 5 | — | E 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 9 | ESE 9 |
1 | — | — | — | 8 | 2 | — | 2 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 16 | 15 | 3 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SE 5 | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | E 5 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | SSW 4 | SW 3 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 |
1 | 10 | 43 | — | — | — | 5 | 27 | 27 | 18 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 25 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1084 | 1171 | 90 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 477 | 6 | 535 | 795 | 795 | 40 | 66 | 69 | 33 | 286 | 487 | 3 | 227 | 149 | 1230 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










