Surf spot

Castles

Forecast conditions and map view for Castles 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: 39.4130, -74.3526

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)	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.6	0.8	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.8
Wave direction	SSE	S	S	SSE	S	SSE	SSE	E	E	SE	SE	SE	S	SE	S	S	S	SE	SE	S	SSE	S	S	ENE	ENE	ENE	E	ENE	ENE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E
Wave period (s)	4.5	4.3	4	4.2	4.2	4.3	3.8	3.5	3.3	3.4	3.5	5.7	3.2	6.2	3.4	3.5	3.7	6.2	6.2	4	5.7	4.7	4.2	3.8	4.3	4.5	4.7	4.7	4	4.6	5.1	4.8	4.7	4.8	4.8	4.9	4.9	5	5.1	5.5	5.7	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.4	5.3	5.3	5.3	5	5	5.2	5.2	5	4.6
Wave energy (kJ)	6	4	3	2	2	4	5	2	3	9	7	11	4	14	5	6	6	19	17	6	16	6	4	4	8	9	7	16	20	31	33	32	30	27	27	26	25	21	23	26	28	30	28	27	24	19	16	13	13	10	7	10	10	12	16	24
Wind speed (km/h)	5.8	6.4	5.9	15.1	16.3	16	17.3	19.6	21.9	15.6	10.5	11.2	10.9	8.1	7.5	8.9	10.1	12.2	27.8	22.8	19.7	18.8	18.3	16.6	15.5	18.8	15.9	18.6	19.4	15.6	13.8	15.5	7.1	8.5	9.9	14.4	11.9	8	10.8	9	7.3	5	7.6	10.9	18	17.7	19.7	21.4	17.2	15.7	14.3	14.3	16.9	18.9	11.6	10.8
Wind direction	NCross-off	NNECross	EOnshore	SEOnshore	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SSECross-on	SCross-on	WSWCross-off	WOffshore	WSWCross-off	WSWCross-off	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	NCross-off	NNWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NCross-off	NNECross	NECross-on	NECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	EOnshore	ESEOnshore	ENECross-on	NECross-on	NECross-on	EOnshore	EOnshore	EOnshore	ESEOnshore	SECross-on	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross	SCross-on	SSWCross	SSWCross	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross	SSWCross	SSWCross	SSWCross

Castles is a well-known surf spot in New Jersey’s North Coast / North East shore area, usually associated with the Monmouth County coastline. It’s a beachbreak that can produce fun, punchy waves when the sandbars line up, especially on east or northeast swells.

Quick description

Type: Beach break
Wave character: Fast, hollow at times, can be powerful on bigger swells
Best swell direction: East to northeast
Best wind: West to northwest offshore winds
Tide: Often works best around mid tide, depending on sandbars
Crowd: Can get crowded when conditions are good
Skill level: Best for intermediate to advanced surfers, though smaller days can be more beginner-friendly

What it’s like

Castles is known for having a more exposed Atlantic-facing setup, so it can pick up swell efficiently and break with some quality on the right sand configuration. Like many New Jersey beachbreaks, it can change from season to season as sandbars shift, so the wave quality can vary a lot. On good days it can offer clean peaks, barreling sections, and solid shortboard waves.

Things to know

It can be stormy and powerful in larger surf.
Rip currents can be strong.
Conditions are highly dependent on sandbars, tide, and wind.
New Jersey winter surf often brings the most consistent and powerful swell, but water temps are cold.