Belmar

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The Jersey Shore's prime window runs from October through March as the North Atlantic low-pressure track becomes more active and Belmar's east-southeast exposure lines up with a healthy mix of ENE, E, ESE and SE swell. Average surf heights hover in the 4ft (1.2m) range and periods generally climb into the 7-8s range, with occasional larger pulses when strong coastal storms spin up. This is also the time of year when the North Atlantic Oscillation tends to steer the storm track toward the Mid-Atlantic; negative NAO phases in particular can fire up nor'easters that align perfectly with Belmar's beach. Offshore winds out of the west and northwest become more frequent, especially during the heart of winter, leaving the sandbars relatively clean and lined up. This is when the spot delivers its most consistent combination of size, period and shape.