Wildwood Crest Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s shaking for the next couple of weeks at the Jersey shore. I’ll level with you straight up: this is a pretty grim stretch for us. The data tells a story of tiny, weak swell and messy wind for the vast majority of the period.

We start off on Thursday, 20th August with virtually nothing. We’re looking at a pathetic 0.7ft of swell from the ESE, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a measly (8), and with a cross-shore wind, it’s just unrideable. This pattern of poor surf conditions and tiny waves – all under 3ft – drags on for days. Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are a write-off with those 16 mph cross-shore winds and messy cross-chop. We essentially have a gap of several days here with no real surf on offer.

The first glimmer of anything clean comes late on Monday, 24th August. We have clear skies and a solid 16 mph offshore wind from the NW coming in. The swell is still tiny at 1ft from the SE, and even though it’s a long-period groundswell at 12 seconds, the energy is weak (36). The break will be as clean as a whistle with that wind, and the long period means you’ll get long lulls between sets, but you’ll be scratching for any kind of ride.

The only true standouts in this whole outlook don’t appear until the very end of the forecast window. Consider these a long-range promising possibility, so keep your fingers crossed. On the morning of Friday, 28th August, Wildwood Crest (sandbar) gets some attention. The swell is still small at 2ft from the ESE, but it’s glassy. That’s a major positive. The combined energy (39) isn’t going to bowl you over, but with zero wind, conditions will be clean. It’s surfable but very ordinary.

However, the best we’ve got on the books comes on the morning of Tuesday, 1st September. We see a jump in energy to moderate levels (87) with a 1ft SE groundswell at an 11-second period. The wind goes light and cross-off from the WNW, making for clean conditions. This is the pick of the lot, but it’s still a very small-wave day. The crowds here are often, so expect company if you paddle out for this one.

The following day, Wednesday, 2nd September, sees a spike in wave energy with a fresh cross-shore and 3ft from the ESE. The combined energy hits a moderate (264), which is the most powerful reading of the whole forecast. But that’s where the good news stops. The 22 mph side wind is going to make a total mess of it. That kind of setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Don’t get your hopes up too high. A blank run like this is more normal for the area when the swell window shuts down.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the sky, and I’ll catch you next time.

Rusty.

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