Seaside Heights/ Casino Pier surf guide
Surf: Used to be one of the premier waves in NJ, breaking either side of a huge pier, until Sandy dumped the roller coaster, and most of the amusements into the sea. The rebuilt and vastly shortened pier still picks up just about any swell, which will break on a low tide bar that usually forms right in front of the pier, but the focus has shifted to the peaks up and down the beach, as submerged debris was too hazardous. At higher tides on a NE swell, the south side should have a high-performance, bowly right, breaking back into the pier. This is mirrored by a less intense left on the north side in a southerly swell.
Environment: An absolute circus in summer with hundreds of thousands of people cruising the cheesy boardwalk. The waves are as consistent as the crowds, along with plenty of drowning swimmers if the swell is on. Meters everywhere, but very few of them will be vacant.
Surf: General: Although the pier is much smaller than it was before Hurricane Sandy, Casino Pier offers some of the longest tube rides in New Jersey. Crowds can be heavy, and there is a solid crew of locals who run the show. Several established names have retained their position in the pecking order for the better part of two decades.On the south side, there's an occasional right bowl that breaks in the middle of the beach. The pier has hosted world-tour events in the past, including the infamous New Jersey Pro of 1988, in which the prize money mysteriously vanished by the time the contest ended.Just north of the famous Casino Pier, Hiering Avenue offers fun lefts and rights. Wide open to most any swell, it breaks with relative consistency.
Tides: Depends on the sandbar and size but mid is good
Size: Stomach high-well overhead
Wind: W to WNW
Swell: SE, ESE, E, ENE
Bottom: Sand
Paddling: Usually doesn't break that far out so pretty doable.
Spot Rating: When the sand is good, usually better than most other areas locally.
Access: Annoying in the summer, pretty easy otherwise
Crowds: Crowd Factor: Mostly heavy.
Local Vibe: Can get heavy with locals regulating, but that's not always a bad thing.
Environment: Pretty clean overall.
Hazards: Crusty locals, crowds, tourists (in the summer).
Season: September through March