Wildwood Crest Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looking at the next couple of weeks, it’s a bit of a flat spell for the most part. We’ve got a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions ahead, with the first real glimmer of hope arriving over a week out. Most of the time, the waves are just too small and messy to get excited about.

The first week is a real write-off, I’m not stoked to say. From Wednesday the 9th right through to Tuesday the 15th, we’re looking at tiny, weak surf, mostly under 2ft, with a lot of onshore and cross-onshore breezes messing things up. There’s a little clean-up on Thursday afternoon the 10th with a light offshore and some 2ft waves, but it’s just not enough to push a board on. We get a bit of a bump on Sunday the 13th with a stormy 4ft and onshore winds, but that’s more of a washing machine than a surfable wave. This stretch is all about the sandbar at Wildwood Crest, and it’s just not doing anything.

The middle of the week starting Monday the 16th is more of the same. A couple of small, cross-offshore days keep the water looking clean, but the swell is still pathetic. The energy is weak, with values in the low 20s to 50s, and the waves rarely push past 2ft. There’s a glimmer on the afternoon of the 16th that’s described as surfable, but it’s very ordinary. To be honest, you’d get more excitement watching the tide come in.

Now, for the one to circle on the calendar. After a long, flat run, we finally see some life on Wednesday the 23rd. The swell builds through the day, but it’s the next morning, Thursday the 24th, that’s the standout. We’re looking at a 5ft swell from the ESE, and it’s coming with light offshore winds from the WNW. The data is calling it “good surf conditions,” and the combined energy finally jumps up to a moderate 343. This is a proper peak for the period. The swell direction is from the ESE, which, for this exposed stretch, should line up okay, but it’s not the optimum direction. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit wind-swell in nature, but with that offshore wind, it should be clean and fun-sized. Just keep in mind that even at 5ft, this might be a bit much for the beginners.

It’s a promising sign, but remember, this is a week and a half away, so treat it as a promising lead, not a guarantee. The wind is looking good for the morning, and it should be worth getting out of bed for. This would be your best bet for a proper surf, everything else is just small scraps. We might see a bit of a bump in the afternoon of the 23rd, but it’s onshore and won’t be clean.

So, heads up for a long dry spell, but keep that Thursday the 24th in your sights. That’s the one with the potential to actually get some waves. And remember, the water temp on that first surfable day is running at 77°, which is 6° warmer than normal—that’s pretty wild for this time of year.

Stay patient,
Rusty

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