The South Jetty Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.39° N 74.39° W

The South Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 08 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The South Jetty sea temperature is
25.2° C
1.8° 

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 8 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, S swell with 173 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period with SSW 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 (Aug 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s. 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 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Thu 13th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 5s
Best Surf 2AM (Thu 13th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 5s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sun 9th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get into it. The 16-day window starts with a big fat nothing. The South Jetty’s got no real surf on offer for the first week and a half. It’s a tough stretch – small, weak, and mostly messy. We’re talking a solid 10 days of "poor surf conditions" with tiny waves and choppy wind. The energy is just not there. The combined energy of all swells directed here is barely hitting double digits most days, like 14, 20, or 26 – that’s weak. You’d be wasting your time.

But hold on. Things start to flicker around Wednesday the 19th of August. The morning still looks poor, but by Wednesday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5ft from the south, with a period of 6 seconds. The energy jumps to 203 (moderate), and the wind is light and cross-shore. It’s still marginal – the score’s a 1 out of 10 – but it’s the first real sign of life. The water temperature is 77°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 3°F above average. That’s nice, but the surf is still ordinary.

Then Thursday the 20th of August morning is the best it gets. The South Jetty will see 3ft swell from the SSE, with a 7-second period, and a light NNW cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 168 (moderate), and it’s clean. This is the standout. It’s not pumping, but it’s the only session that’s actually surfable without fighting the wind. The swell is small enough for beginners and intermediates, and the offshore wind will keep it tidy. The direction is from the SSE, which matches the optimum swell direction for this exposed beach/jetty setup. The break is consistent, so you can count on a few waves. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might see a few others out.

After that, it drops off again. Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd see the swell shrink back to 2ft or less, and the wind gets messy. The energy plummets back to the 40s. The last week of the outlook is a write-off – small, choppy, and no real push. Nothing in the second week is worth planning around.

So, if you’re itching for a paddle, your only real window is Thursday morning the 20th of August at The South Jetty. It’s not a classic, but it’s clean, small, and the best we’ve got. The rest of the 16 days? Leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds.

Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
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
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
0.4
SE
9
0.7
S
5
1.5
S
6
0.7
S
6
0.6
S
6
0.7
S
5
0.4
SSE
5
0.5
S
6
0.7
S
6
0.4
SSE
6
0.5
S
6
0.4
S
6
0.2
S
5
0.6
SSW
4
1
SSW
5
0.5
S
6
0.5
S
6
0.7
S
4
0.6
S
5
0.5
S
5
0.5
S
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
27
25
173
39
25
24
9
18
29
10
16
9
3
15
56
17
16
19
20
14
27
Wind (km/h)
20
SW
25
SW
20
W
15
WSW
20
SW
10
W
10
SSW
15
SSW
10
W
5
WSW
5
ENE
30
W
25
W
25
WSW
15
WSW
15
S
25
SSW
25
WNW
15
NNW
10
W
20
N
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
4:55PM1.44m
5:30AM1.05m
5:58PM1.51m
6:31AM1.11m
6:56PM1.57m
7:30AM1.19m
7:53PM1.60m
8:26AM1.28m
8:45PM1.61m
9:16AM1.34m
9:33PM1.58m
10:02AM1.38m
10:17PM1.51m
Low Tide
10:01AM0.16m
11:25PM0.18m
11:10AM0.10m
00:25AM0.09m
12:13PM0.04m
1:22AM0.00m
1:13PM-0.03m
2:13AM-0.07m
2:09PM-0.07m
2:59AM-0.12m
3:00PM-0.09m
3:42AM-0.12m
3:49PM-0.05m
4:23AM-0.07m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:03
6:03
6:05
6:05
6:07
6:07
6:07
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:01
8:00
8:00
7:58
7:57
7:55
7:54
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
28
31
29
28
32
30
29
31
29
29
31
26
27
28
27
26
28
28
23
27
25
Feels °C
28
30
29
29
31
30
31
31
31
31
30
28
26
27
28
27
29
29
21
25
22
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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