New Jersey
Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 2-3+ft with 8mph WSW winds.
Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 2-3+ft with 8mph WSW winds.
Best window·Monday 6AM–9AM·3-4ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Barnegat Light, New Jersey. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 2–3ft, 6s period, rated Fair - Good. Midday is the call — 2-3+ft waves with 7mph from the WSW and fair - good conditions. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down.
Fri, Sep 4: 1–2ft, 8s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on SE swell at 8s with 16mph W winds. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Sat, Sep 5: 1–2ft, 6s period, rated Poor. Midday is the call — 1-2ft waves with 11mph from the N and poor conditions. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down.
Sun, Sep 6: 3–4ft, 6s period, rated Very Poor. Expect 2-3ft waves early on NE swell at 4s.
Mon, Sep 7: 3–4ft, 10s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft on ENE swell at 8s with 10mph from the NW. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
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Check Barnegat Light from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Barnegat Light sits at the northern tip of Long Beach Island where the Barnegat Inlet creates a powerful, wedging wave that breaks over shifting sandbars near a partially submerged rock jetty. The inlet's tidal flow sculpts deep sandbars that produce heavy, hollow barrels when larger swells arrive, but the combination of strong currents, submerged rocks, and unpredictable bottom contours makes this a spot strictly for expert surfers. Fall nor'easters and hurricane swells deliver the goods, but the consequences of a mistake here are severe.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Barnegat Light is 2-3+ft with a 5.9s swell period. Wind is WSW at 7mph. Conditions are rated Fair - Good. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Barnegat Light is 2-3+ft, produced by a 2.4ft E wind swell swell at 6s, a 1.7ft SE secondary swell at 9s, a 0.9ft SSW wind swell swell at 2s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Barnegat Light is Monday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 3ft waves, a 8s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Barnegat Light works best with a E swell and W winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Barnegat Light. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Barnegat Light is a rivermouth with a sand bottom, suited to expert surfers. Barnegat Light sits at the northern tip of Long Beach Island where the Barnegat Inlet creates a powerful, wedging wave that breaks over shifting sandbars near a partially submerged rock jetty. The inlet's tidal flow sculpts deep sandbars that produce heavy, hollow barrels when larger swells arrive, but the combination of strong currents, submerged rocks, and unpredictable bottom contours makes this a spot strictly for expert surfers. Fall nor'easters and hurricane swells deliver the goods, but the consequences of a mistake here are severe.
The prime season at Barnegat Light is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Barnegat Light include submerged rock jetty, extreme currents, shifting sandbars, boat traffic, cold water, heavy shorebreak. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Barnegat Light forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
