Surf spot

38th St. Beach

Forecast conditions and map view for 38th St. Beach in USA, North East, New Jersey. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, North East, New Jersey
Coordinates: 39.3879, -74.3863

Metric
Metric	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00
Wave height (m)	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.7	0.5	0.5	0.7	0.7	0.5	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3
Wave direction	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SSE	SSE	SE	E	SE	SE	SSE	S	SSE	S	S	S	SE	SE	S	SSE	S	NE	NE	SSE	ENE	ENE	NE	ENE	ENE	E	E	E	E	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	ESE	E	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E
Wave period (s)	4.7	4.3	4	4.5	4.5	3.8	3.5	6.9	4.1	3.4	3.5	3.7	3.8	4.1	3.9	4	3.6	4.5	5.7	4.6	5.8	5.7	3.8	3.8	5.6	4.1	4.2	4.3	4	4.3	4.8	4.6	4.1	4	4	5	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.2	5.2	5.2	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.2	5.3	5.2	5.5	5.3	5.2	5.1	5.1	5.1	5.1	4.8
Wave energy (kJ)	5	4	3	3	2	3	4	12	3	7	8	11	13	9	9	8	5	6	14	7	18	8	3	3	4	15	10	10	15	16	13	18	16	12	10	18	21	22	23	23	22	20	19	18	17	9	10	8	12	12	10	9	8	8	7	5
Wind speed (km/h)	3.1	5.1	8.2	14.8	16.3	16	16.1	16.8	18.4	17.6	19.8	7.4	4.3	9.8	7.9	10.5	11.4	13.8	21.7	22.5	15.2	12.7	14.4	16.4	19.1	24	18.7	20.8	20.5	19.8	14.3	14.9	10.2	10.7	11.5	15.1	13	10.5	10	9.2	3.8	0.7	0.8	10.4	12.3	16.2	15.2	14.6	16.1	14.6	15.1	16.8	20.5	18.4	12.2	14.1
Wind direction	NWGlassy	NECross-on	ESECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SSECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SCross-off	SSWCross-off	WNWCross-off	NWGlassy	SSWCross-off	WNWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WNWCross-off	NNWCross	NCross	NCross	NCross-on	NCross	NCross-on	NECross-on	NEOnshore	NEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	NECross-on	NECross-on	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	EOnshore	ESECross-on	SECross-on	SSEGlassy	WGlassy	ENEGlassy	SECross-on	SCross	SCross	SCross	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWOffshore	WOffshore	NNWCross	NCross	NNWCross	NCross

38th St. Beach is a well-known surf spot in Margate City, New Jersey, on the Atlantic coast of the U.S. Northeast. It’s part of the stretch of beaches near Atlantic City and is a fairly accessible, local favorite.

Surf break style

Beach break
Can be pretty punchy when conditions line up
Generally works best with clean swell and offshore winds
Sandbars can shift, so wave quality changes throughout the season

Wave characteristics

Usually delivers short to medium-length rides
Good for beginner to intermediate surfers on smaller days
Can become fast and more powerful during larger swells
Often better for shortboarding, though longboards can work on smaller, softer days

Best conditions

East, southeast, or northeast swells tend to light it up
Offshore west or northwest winds help clean up the surf
Tide can matter a lot; many surfers prefer mid tide depending on sandbar setup
Fall and winter often bring the most consistent and strongest surf, while summer is typically smaller and softer

Crowd and vibe

Can get crowded, especially on good summer weekends
Mostly a local surf spot with a laid-back New Jersey shore feel
Access is straightforward, with beach-town amenities nearby

Hazards / considerations

Shifting sandbars and strong currents can be an issue
As with many East Coast beach breaks, conditions can change quickly
Be mindful of local beach rules, lifeguard zones, and other surfers