Surf spot

LBI - Long Beach Island

Forecast conditions and map view for LBI - Long Beach Island 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: 39.6586, -74.1598

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	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.3	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	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.7
Wave direction	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SSE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SSE	SE	S	SE	SSE	S	SE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	SE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE
Wave period (s)	4.9	4.1	4	4.7	4.8	3.6	3.5	4.3	6.2	3.4	3.4	5.8	3.1	3.8	3.5	3.8	5.5	4.1	5	4.3	5.3	4.8	5.6	5.5	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.4	4.3	4.5	4.9	4.7	4.7	4.8	4.8	4.5	5	5	5	5.7	5.8	6	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.7	5.5	5.5	5.3	5.3	5.5	4.8	5.1	5.1	4.6	4.3
Wave energy (kJ)	7	3	2	2	2	2	3	4	6	8	7	10	3	5	4	6	10	6	10	5	9	5	4	6	4	5	10	15	22	25	25	22	22	20	19	14	17	18	17	26	28	29	29	26	22	17	14	13	10	9	8	7	9	11	16	19
Wind speed (km/h)	8.4	5.8	2.3	14.3	16	15.2	16.9	21	18.1	21.3	14	14.4	11.4	6.8	5.3	9.8	10.5	13.7	26.3	24.5	16.8	15.5	12.2	17.8	18	24.6	17.6	19.2	17.3	16.5	13	15.7	7.3	7.9	9.2	13.4	11.2	7.4	10.8	9.2	9	6.9	8.3	12.2	20.9	21.1	20.9	23.3	17.1	15.3	14.5	12.3	18.5	11.9	9.7	11
Wind direction	NWOffshore	NCross-off	NEGlassy	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SSECross-on	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross	WOffshore	WSWCross-off	WSWCross-off	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WCross-off	WNWOffshore	NNWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NCross-off	NCross-off	NCross-off	NCross-off	NNECross	NECross-on	NECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	ECross-on	ESEOnshore	ENECross-on	ENECross-on	NECross-on	ECross-on	EOnshore	ESEOnshore	SEOnshore	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross	SCross-on	SSWCross	SSWCross	SWCross	SWCross	SWCross	SWCross-off	SWCross	SSWCross-on	SSWCross	SWCross-off	SWCross

LBI (Long Beach Island), New Jersey, USA is a classic Northeast Atlantic surf destination with a long stretch of sandy beachbreaks along a barrier island. It’s known for being a reliable, accessible surf zone that can offer fun, punchy waves when the Atlantic delivers swell.

Spot overview

Type: Beachbreak
Coast: East-facing Atlantic shoreline
Wave character: Can range from soft, fun summertime surf to steeper, hollower waves during fall and winter swells
Best conditions: Generally works best with a clean swell from the east, southeast, or south-east and light offshore winds, often from the west or northwest
Tide sensitivity: Many breaks on LBI are tide-dependent, with different sections working better at mid or lower tide depending on sandbars

What it’s like to surf there

Long Beach Island has a variety of peaks and sandbars rather than one single defined point break. Conditions can change quickly with storms, tides, and shifting sand. Some days you’ll find: - Peaky beachbreaks with quick lefts and rights - Rippable, playful waves in smaller swell - More powerful, barrelling sections during larger nor’easters or hurricane swell

Seasonality

Summer: Smaller, weaker surf but good for beginners and longboarding when it’s clean
Fall: Often the best season—more consistent swell, cleaner conditions, and better wave shape
Winter: Stronger swell and more power, but colder water and harsher wind/chop
Spring: Variable, with some good surf windows mixed with unsettled weather

Crowds and vibe

LBI has a popular local surf scene, especially around more recognizable access points and the better sandbars. Crowds can build quickly when the waves turn on, but the island is long enough that surfers often spread out in search of the best peak.

Hazards and notes

Strong currents and rips can appear, especially after storms
Shifting sandbars mean conditions can vary a lot from one day to the next
Winter conditions can be cold and demanding
Some areas may have local etiquette considerations and beach access rules depending on the town and season