Surf Forecasts:
Wildwood Crest surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 56 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Wildwood Crest this week:
The surf forecast for Wildwood Crest over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wildwood Crest in the next 16 days are 0.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wildwood Crest over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the Wildwood area over the next couple of weeks. I’m gonna be straight with you – this is one of those outlooks where you might want to keep the board in the car but not get your hopes up too high.
For the first week or so, we’re looking at a pretty dry spell. From now, starting Tuesday the 18th, right through to about the end of August, it’s mostly a no-go. The swell is tiny, mostly around 0.6ft to 2ft, with short, weak periods. Combined wave energy is just a pittance, barely hitting triple digits (most readings are between 13 and 90). It’s essentially flat with a side of chop or onshore breeze. There’s a glimmer on Thursday morning the 27th when a little 2.3ft bump shows up with clean offshore wind from the NW, but it’s still pretty ordinary. You might get a fun little waist-high roller, but it’s not worth writing home about.
There is a notable gap of several days with absolutely nothing worth paddling for. The real story, the one that might get a bit of heart racing, starts to shape up at the very tail end of the outlook.
The standout, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Tuesday, September 1st. This is the one that promises the best conditions we’ve seen in the whole window. The swell finally shows up, pushing 5.2ft from the East with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a proper chest-to-head-high wave with enough energy to get you moving – you can feel it in the combined wave energy reading, which jumps to 313. The kicker is the wind: it’s forecast to be glassy in the morning and cross-offshore in the afternoon. That’s clean, groomed faces for Wildwood Crest. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, nothing weird going on there. This is the day to be in the water.
Now, a word of caution: long-range stuff is always a bit of a promise, but if it holds, September 1st is the pick. For the beginners out there, that 5.2ft swell might be a touch on the big side for you, especially if it’s dumping. For the experienced crew, get ready. It’s not huge, but it’s our best shot.
So, in short: the next week and a half is a write-off for anything decent. Wait for that glassy morning on September 1st. It’s the one.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 42mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | SE 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | E 4 | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 6 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 12 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 22 | 56 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 8 | 48 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 14 | 21 | 12 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 12:31PM1.41m | 00:46AM1.17m | 1:22PM1.35m | 1:39AM1.06m | 2:21PM1.32m | 2:44AM1.00m | 3:27PM1.31m | 3:55AM0.98m | 4:30PM1.34m | 4:57AM1.01m | 5:23PM1.39m | 5:46AM1.07m | 6:08PM1.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:50PM0.29m | 6:51AM0.26m | 7:49PM0.36m | 7:42AM0.33m | 8:53PM0.40m | 8:37AM0.37m | 9:59PM0.41m | 9:35AM0.37m | 11:00PM0.39m | 10:33AM0.34m | 11:51PM0.34m | 11:27AM0.29m | 00:34AM0.28m | ||||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 13 | — | 3 | 5 | 1 | 18 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 27 | 30 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 5 | ESE 8 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 |
14 | 22 | 56 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 25 | 10 | 7 | 7 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | SE 12 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | SE 6 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 3 | ESE 8 | SE 5 | SE 4 | ESE 8 | SE 13 | SSE 4 | S 4 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 |
7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 12 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | NE 4 | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | S 3 | E 7 | E 6 | E 15 | — | — | SE 14 | SE 10 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | NE 5 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
6 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | — | — | NE 2 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | E 4 | E 5 | E 5 | S 4 | — | SSE 5 | W 2 | NW 3 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 1 | 12 | 15 | 8 | 48 | 18 | 9 | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 167 | 343 | 31 | 29 | 546 | 156 | 199 | 546 | 525 | 998 | 286 | 504 | 67 | 327 | 202 | 116 | 500 | 4 | 29 | 45 | 60 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Wildwood Crest Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Wildwood Crest provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Wildwood Crest can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Wildwood Crest 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 (Wildwood Crest) 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 Wildwood Crest 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.
Wildwood Crest is 40 km (25 miles) from Ocean City. If you plan a vacation in New Jersey, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ocean City. Ocean City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











