Wildwood Crest Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. We’re looking at a real tough stretch ahead for Wildwood Crest. It’s a sandbar setup that’s exposed to the southeast, and the outlook for the next 16 days is mostly a story of waiting, with a few flickers of hope right at the very end. For the most part, we’re talking small, weak, or messy conditions, and a whole lot of wind issues. We’re going to have to be patient.

For the first week or so, honestly, it’s grim. There’s a tiny window on Sunday the 13th with some small surf (2ft from the SE) and light winds that keep it clean, but the wave energy is weak (combined energy of 41-43). It’s surfable but nothing to write home about. After that, a strong north wind kicks in and the swell drops to nothing on Monday, with waves barely reaching 1ft. Then we get into a pattern of onshore and cross-shore winds with tiny swell from the east for days on end. The combined energy stays low, mostly under 100, so it’s weak. Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th bring a little more size (3ft), but it’s cross-on or onshore, making it choppy and poor. This low-quality stretch continues with wind and small surf right through to the end of the week and into the next. Saturday the 21st sees the swell start to push up (4ft from the east by the afternoon), but the wind is a strong cross-shore, creating messy lumpy conditions. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 213, but the wind ruins it. This builds into Tuesday the 23rd with 5ft from the east and a combined energy of 335 to 373, but again, the strong cross-shore wind keeps it from being clean surf. This is the kind of setup that, on a beach break, looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

The real standouts come right at the end of the period. Wednesday the 23rd of September afternoon sees a spike in quality. The swell hits 6ft from the east, and the wind swings to a cross-off from the north-northeast. The combined energy hits a strong 889, meaning there’s a lot of power in the water. The conditions clean up nicely. This is the first real good option, and it’s still a bit marginal. Then Thursday the 24th of September morning is your best bet. You’ve got a 5ft east swell, cross-off wind from the north-northeast, and a combined energy of 859. The period is 10 seconds, so it’s a solid groundswell with good shape. It’s going to be clean and punchy. This is the highlight, but crowds are often a problem at Wildwood Crest, so expect company. After that, the wind shifts onshore again and the swell fades. From the 25th onward, the wind gets nasty again (near gale force by the 26th), dropping the swell back to tiny, poor conditions right to the end of the forecast. So, if you want the best, aim for that Thursday morning the 24th.

Rusty.

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