Stone Harbor • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

Stone Harbor's most promising surf windows arrive as the Atlantic basin transitions into autumn and winter. With the beach aimed at the east-southeast, the Jersey Shore is right in the crosshairs of low pressure systems spinning up offshore and Nor'easters pulling away from the Mid-Atlantic. These setups fire E, ESE, SE and SSE swell down the fetch straight into the sandbars, while the climatological increase in W and WNW winds offers cleaner, offshore-surface conditions. Though average heights still hover around 2ft (0.6m), the period lengthens and the odd 3-5ft (0.9-1.5m) day becomes realistic. If you're chasing the best mix of size, period and offshore texture in Stone Harbor, this is your window.

Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)

Spring and early fall sit on the margins. April and May see the North Atlantic jet stream relaxing, with fewer strong lows and more south-southwest to southwest winds putting a chop on top of waist-high wind swell. The arrival of the first real warm-season sea breeze often makes afternoons bumpy. September is the exception: water temperatures remain warm at 23°C, while tropical storms and early autumn cold fronts can light the coast up with longer-period E and SE swell. Just don't expect consistency or size; this is a 'score the right day' type of season.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer is the doldrums along this stretch of barrier island. A persistent Bermuda High sets up offshore, pumping S, SSW and SW winds straight onshore and keeping average wave heights pinned near 0.4m (1.5ft). Swell is dominated by local sea breeze and distant tropical pulses, usually powerless and short-period. Water temps peak at 24-25°C and the lineup fills up, but wave quality drops to flat, mushy and groveling conditions. If you're surfing Stone Harbor in July, you're doing it more for the saltwater bath than for world-class waves.