The South Jetty Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.39° N 74.39° W

The South Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 22 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The South Jetty sea temperature is
26.2°C
3.2° 

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 23 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period, SE swell with 103 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period with S 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 0.8m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be 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 (Aug 23) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sat 29th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 6s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 29th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 6s
Most Powerful 2PM (Thu 27th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 9s

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 on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s looking pretty grim for a solid stretch. The South Jetty is a beach/jetty setup here, and it’s exposed to the swell, but we’re in for a long dry spell. From now until the end of August, the waves are tiny, mostly around 0.7 ft to 2 ft, with short, weak periods. The wind is all over the place, mostly cross-off or onshore, and the combined swell energy is a paltry 28 to 50 (weak). The water is running a very unusual 79° – that’s 6° warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a real standout but doesn’t help the surf. Honestly, the whole first week and a bit is a write-off for a proper paddle. If you’re a kite surfer, the stronger south winds on the 23rd and 30th might look more interesting than a surfboard session.

We’ve got a gap of several days with no real surf on offer. The first faint glimmer of something surfable doesn’t show up until Tuesday morning, the 2nd of September. The jetty sees a bit of a pulse: a 1 ft swell from the SE with a period of 12 seconds, and the combined energy finally bumps up to 107 (moderate). The wind is a clean cross-off from the NNW, and the conditions are clean. It’s still not a standout, but it’s the first sign of life. The swell is small, though, so it’s more of a longboard or funboard session.

The best on offer in this whole 16-day window is shaping up to be the afternoon of the 2nd of September. The forecast shows a 2 ft SE swell, period 11 seconds, and a combined energy of 88. The wind is light onshore from the ESE, but the water is clean. It’s not a giant day, but given the barren run we’ve had, it’s the pick of the bunch. The swell direction is SE, which is right in the optimum zone for The South Jetty. It’s still small, but it’s the only real window where you’ll get a few rideable ones. After that, it drops back into the doldrums with weak, short-period windswell right through to the 6th of September.

Bottom line: if you’re desperate, the 2nd of September is your day. Otherwise, the forecast is a long, slow tease. This area tends to stay poor for a while, and this run is no exception. Keep an eye on it – things can change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 25°C on Tue night, min 21°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
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
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
12
0.2
ESE
12
0.6
S
6
0.3
SE
12
0.3
SE
12
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
11
0.3
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
ESE
8
0.3
ESE
8
0.8
SE
4
0.4
ESE
9
0.6
ESE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.6
S
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
7
15
14
22
22
21
19
18
18
18
13
20
26
11
23
32
48
46
26
Wind (km/h)
15
SE
15
SW
20
WSW
15
WNW
15
W
20
WSW
15
NNW
15
W
20
W
10
NW
5
ESE
20
S
15
S
15
SSE
20
SE
15
SSE
15
SSW
20
SSW
10
W
Wind State
on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
5:17AM0.92m
5:41PM1.27m
6:07AM0.97m
6:27PM1.33m
6:52AM1.03m
7:11PM1.37m
7:36AM1.10m
7:53PM1.41m
8:18AM1.17m
8:32PM1.43m
8:56AM1.24m
9:09PM1.43m
Low Tide
11:15PM0.42m
10:55AM0.40m
00:05AM0.37m
11:46AM0.35m
00:49AM0.30m
12:33PM0.29m
1:29AM0.22m
1:18PM0.23m
2:05AM0.15m
2:00PM0.18m
2:39AM0.10m
2:40PM0.14m
3:10AM0.06m
rain showers
clear
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:20
6:20
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:44
7:42
7:40
7:38
7:37
7:36
7:35
 mm
3
1
1
1
Temp °C
24
26
28
26
24
27
25
23
27
25
22
25
24
25
25
24
24
25
26
Feels °C
26
26
25
24
22
24
23
20
24
23
22
23
22
25
24
24
25
25
29
  • 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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