Twelvth Street Jetty

Twelvth Street Jetty is a beach/jetty surfing spot in Ocean City where the jetty structure helps shape and stabilize the sandbars. It tends to work best around mid tide, with northeast swells producing the most favorable direction for building workable peaks. Wind-wise, northwest winds are generally beneficial, tending to offer cleaner conditions. Seasonal and frontal influences dominate, with occasional late-spring and summer afternoon sea breezes noted, but overall wind performance can vary substantially with weather. Safety is a major focus at this launch: rip currents are common alongside the jetty structure, and submerged rocks/pilings or debris around the jetty present a hazard. Conditions can also change after storms as sandbars shift, so it’s important to reassess the lineup and surf positioning each session. During summer, lifeguards enforce strict rules. Surfing is restricted to avoid summer daytime hours (10 AM–5 PM) and typically must stay within designated zones while lifeguards are operating. Crowds can be intense, so arriving early and surfing outside peak restricted windows helps reduce both congestion and compliance issues.