Wildwood Crest Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real. I’ve looked at what’s on the cards for the Wildwood area, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s a rough 16-day stretch. The setup we’re looking at is Wildwood Crest, a sandbar break that’s mostly a beginner’s spot. It's fairly consistent but, well, the surf just isn’t cooperating.

The water temp is sitting at about 75°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—about 3° above average. That’s nice if you’re just floating around, but it doesn’t help the waves.

Right now, we’ve got a gap. The first few days are pretty much a write-off. Friday the 10th through the 11th, you’re looking at tiny, weak swell—1ft to 2ft with short periods (3-8 seconds) and a combined energy that’s barely a whisper (12 to 24). Winds are cross-off or cross, but the swell is just too small to do anything. Sunday the 12th? Same story—2ft to 2ft, cross-onshore wind, and choppy. Not worth paddling out.

Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th stay small—1ft to 2ft—with periods creeping up to 7 seconds, but the energy is still low (18 to 45). Light winds keep the surface clean, but there’s no push. Wednesday the 15th? Even smaller, 0.6ft. That’s a flat spell.

The first real break in the pattern doesn’t come until Thursday the 16th afternoon, when we see a 3ft swell from the south with a period of 5 seconds. The energy climbs to 49, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy—still a no-go for quality.

Friday the 17th morning is the closest we get to anything surfable. A 2ft swell from the SSE with a 7-second period, combined energy of 43, and light cross-offshore wind from the west. The conditions are clean, and the break is exposed to the swell. The optimum direction is from the SE, and this is coming from the SSE—close enough. It’s small, but the light offshore wind would make it rideable. It’s a “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” kind of day. For a beginner at Wildwood Crest, that’s probably your best bet in the whole 16-day window. But don’t expect magic.

From Saturday the 18th onward, it’s a long grind. The swell stays tiny—2ft to 2ft—with periods of 6 to 7 seconds. The winds get messy. On the 20th and 21st, we see onshore winds from the east and northeast at 22 to 25 mph, with swell heights around 2ft to 3ft and energy climbing to 88. The period is still short (8 seconds), and the conditions are described as “strong cross-onshore and messy” or “strong cross-shore with messy cross-chop.” That’s not surfable—that’s a washing machine.

By the 23rd and 24th, the swell bumps up to 3ft to 4ft from the SSE and S, with periods of 7 to 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 110 to 135—moderate energy, finally. But the winds are cross-on or cross from the east and northeast, keeping it choppy and lumpy. The water anomaly is gone from the data, so I can’t comment on that.

The last few days, the 25th, are back to 3ft with onshore or cross-onshore winds and risk of t-storms. Nothing to get excited about.

So, the honest truth? There’s one real standout: Friday morning, the 17th of July. It’s the only time the conditions align for a clean, light wind session. The swell is small—2ft from the SSE—but with the light cross-offshore wind, it’ll be glassy. The break is a sandbar, so it’s soft and forgiving. Not a day for power, but for a longboard or a funboard, it might be fun. Crowds are “often” here, so expect company.

Everything else is a bust. The 16-day forecast is packed with gaps of 3 to 4 days at a time with no real surf. The spot is fairly consistent, so this is a rough patch, not the norm. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye out, but right now, I’d save your energy.

Rusty.

Read more