Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport
- Shortboard, Longboard
- Best for
- Intermediate
- Skill Level
- Swell
- Spot Type
- Quiet
- Crowd Level
This spot information is AI-assisted and has not been human verified. It may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect. Verify safety, access, local rules, and current conditions with official or local sources before riding.
About
Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport is a fairly exposed breakwater/jetty surfing setup in southern New Jersey that only works once in a while and does not follow a strong seasonal pattern. The spot is strongly shaped by inlet conditions: sandbars can create workable waves, but the same inlet influence also brings challenging currents.
- Best performance comes when a southeast swell combines with northwest offshore winds
- Peeling wave shape off the inlet jetty can produce longer rides than typical nearby beach breaks
- Unpredictable timing—conditions may be rare when swell and wind line up
- Jetty-induced peeling waves and potential for longer rides than typical beach breaks
- Offshore winds from the West or Northwest can groom faces
- Typically unlikely to be too crowded when surf is up
- Break works only inconsistently with limited predictability
- Strong inlet tidal currents and rip risk
- Requires specific swell/wind alignment; South winds are problematic
Wind, water and seasons
Wind
- Direction
- W, NW
- Offshore directions
- NW
- No-go directions
- S
- Wind Range
- 10–20 kts
- Wind Type
- Frontal — Wind type reported as frontal; offshore grooming can occur with strong NW flow.
- Reliability
- moderate
- Gust Factor
- Moderate gusts — Gusts described as moderate.
- Best Months
- September, October, November, December
- Shadow Zones
- Directly behind the jetty on certain wind angles
Water & beach
- Water Type
- Swell
- Beach
- Sand
- Beach Size
- Medium
- Waves
- Medium — Wave size reported as medium; works inconsistently depending on swell and swell direction.
- Launch
- Medium — Sandy beach area adjacent to the rock jetty
- Launch Difficulty
- Moderate
Through the year
Highest in summer months; relatively quiet and locals-oriented in winter.
Hurricane season peaks from August to October; Nor'easters are common in winter.
By sport
What to expect for each.
Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport is an exposed breakwater jetty break that works only inconsistently (no strong seasonal pattern). It is best when the swell wraps appropriately off the inlet structure—most often when a southeast swell combines with northwest offshore winds.
- Wave Direction
- Both
- Optimal Swell
- S, SSE, E
- Swell Height
- 1–2 m
- Optimal Tide
- Mid — Mid-tide is usually the sweet spot to reduce the chance of the wave closing out on shallow bars.
- Shelter
- Semi-sheltered — A semi-sheltered jetty setup; however, it is also described as fairly exposed and can be inconsistent.
- Wind Effect
- Offshore winds from the West or Northwest groom the faces; South winds are problematic.
- Bigger Swell
- Handles moderate size well but can become difficult with heavy current on bigger swells, described as turning into a washing machine.
- Wave Quality
- Good
- Wave Power
- Moderate — Power described as moderate.
- Wave Shape
- Peeling — Peeling rights/lefts off the inlet jetty reported.
- Peel Speed
- Medium
- Ride Length
- Medium — Longer rides possible when sandbars and swell align with the jetty.
- Typical Ride Length
- 75 m
- Ride Length Details
- Can offer rides of 50-100 meters when sandbars and swell align with the jetty.
Check the forecast before you go
See wind, waves, weather and session windows for Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport in the full forecast view.
Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport wind and wave forecast summary
- Wind
- 2–10 ktsGusts 20 kts
- Direction
- NNE24°
- Strongest day
- Tue, Oct 2710 kts
- Windy days
- 0/712 kts or more
- Waves
- 0.4–1.2 m7s period
- Temperature
- 5–20 °C
Over the next 7 days, Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport is forecast for daytime winds of 2–10 kts, peaking around 10 kts on Tuesday, October 27 with gusts to 20 kts. The prevailing direction is NNE. Waves run 0.4–1.2 m with a period of about 7s. Based on the Wavind model, in the spot’s local time.
Other spots in the area
What to know before you launch
Safety, access, restrictions, rescue, and local rules can change. Treat these details as informational and confirm them locally before launching.
Hazards
- Strong inlet currents
- Boat traffic
- Submerged rocks near the jetty
- Rip currents
Rescue & support
- Lifeguard
- Seasonal — Seasonal lifeguard presence reported.
- Rescue & Self-Rescue
- Limited — Rescue availability reported as limited.
- Emergency Info
- Emergency services can be reached via 911; nearest hospital is Shore Medical Center in Somers Point.
- Localism / Vibe
- Mild — Localism described as mild.
Rules of the spot
Respect local surfing zones which may be strictly enforced during the summer lifeguard season. Surfing is restricted to designated areas during lifeguard hours (10 AM - 6 PM in summer).
- Surfing restricted to designated areas during lifeguard hours (10 AM - 6 PM in summer).
- Watch the tide carefully as the current can pull you into the inlet channel rapidly.
- Mid-tide is usually the sweet spot to prevent the wave from closing out on the shallow bars.
Getting there & access
- Nearest City
- Atlantic City
- Nearest Town
- Longport
- Nearest Airport
- Atlantic City International Airport
- Parking
- Street parking is available but can be very limited during summer months and weekends.
- Cost Level
- Moderate
- Local Language
- English
What's on the beach
- Accommodation
- Nearby town — Numerous hotels and rentals available in nearby Ocean City and Atlantic City.
- Food & Drink
- Restaurants and cafes are located several blocks north in the residential area of Longport.
- Equipment Rental:
- Equipment rental is available via nearby surf shops.
- Gear Repair
- Repair services available at surf shops in Ocean City.
No schools or services are listed for this spot yet.
From riders who've been here
Latest reported conditions
Spot questions
Frequently asked questions
When is the best season at Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport?
The best overall months at Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport are August, September. The best wind months are September, October, November, December.
Which wind directions work at Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport?
Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport works with W, NW winds. Offshore directions are NW. No-go directions are S.
What skill level is Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport suitable for?
Great Egg Harbor Inlet Longport suits these riding levels: Surfing: Intermediate.