Manasquan Webcam – Surf Checks on the Jersey Shore

The Manasquan Webcam looks out over the surf on the north side of Manasquan Inlet, on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The camera faces the Atlantic from above the beach, so the frame is mostly water: several lines of breaking waves across the middle, sand along the bottom edge, and a low pile of dark rocks at the waterline where gulls often stand around between sets. It is a surf check first, so the thing to read is the swell: whether the waves are lined up in clean sets or broken up by the wind. On a clear morning the horizon is sharp and the whitewater stands out. On a foggy day the sea and sky run together into one grey band, and the only detail left is the foam. The feed plays on the SurfChex site, next to live wind and weather readings for the same stretch of coast.

About Manasquan

Manasquan is a small borough in southern Monmouth County, incorporated on December 30, 1887 from parts of Wall Township. It covers 6.54 square kilometers (2.53 square miles), and the 2020 census counted 5,938 residents. The name comes from the Lenape word Menaskunk, usually translated as a place to gather grass or reeds. Brielle, Sea Girt and Wall Township border it on the Monmouth side, and Point Pleasant Beach sits directly across the inlet in Ocean County.

The inlet is the reason most people know the town. It links the Atlantic with the Manasquan River and, through the Point Pleasant Canal, with Bay Head Harbor and Barnegat Bay, and it marks the northern end of the inland Intracoastal Waterway. The channel is 76 meters (250 feet) wide at the ocean entrance, with a controlling depth of 4.3 meters (14 feet) and up to 9.1 meters (30 feet) of water beside the jetties. The Squan US Coast Guard station works from the inlet.

The inlet in its current form is man-made. It was closed from 1926 and reopened on August 29, 1931, with a parade of boats. The Army Corps of Engineers built the stone jetties that hold it open, and the rock for them came from the excavation of the Second Avenue Subway in Manhattan. Those jetties are also what makes the surf. The north jetty corrals and refracts incoming swell onto the sandbars beside it, which is why Manasquan Inlet is known for a right-hand break that is often bigger than the beaches either side of it.

Weather and Climate in Manasquan

Manasquan has a humid subtropical climate. January is the coldest month, with average highs of 4.4 C (40 F) and lows of minus 3.9 C (25 F), and the ocean drops to about 3 C (37 F). Winter is when the camera tends to show the emptiest beach, and the cold water keeps anyone in the lineup in a full wetsuit. Spring warms slowly, since the sea lags well behind the air, and grey, misty days can flatten the view until the horizon disappears.

July brings average highs of 28.4 C (83 F) and lows of 19.4 C (67 F), with the sea reaching around 21 C (69 F). Summer days often show a smaller, gentler ocean and a much busier beach. Late summer and autumn fall within the Atlantic hurricane season, when distant storms can send long lines of swell up the coast and the inlet fills with surfers. The town sees about 1,181 millimeters (46.5 inches) of precipitation a year.

Things to Do Near Manasquan

The inlet itself is a place to spend an hour. People fish from the inlet, watch boats run in and out of the channel, and walk the Manasquan beachfront and boardwalk along the ocean. Across the water, Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach runs for about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) with amusement rides, a fun house, arcades and games. Jenkinson’s Aquarium on the same boardwalk keeps seals and fish, and the Adventure Lookout ropes course adds a two-level climb with a zip line.

Inland, the Manasquan Reservoir is popular for hiking, fishing and bird watching. Allaire State Park is only minutes from town, and the Historic Village at Allaire inside it is the usual stop for families. From neighboring Brielle, the River Queen riverboat runs sightseeing, brunch and sunset dinner cruises along the Manasquan River, the Point Pleasant Canal and Barnegat Bay, which is a good way to see the waterways the inlet connects.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More beach and surf cams along the Atlantic coast:

• Ocean City NJ Webcam
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• Jensen Beach Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Manasquan located?

Manasquan is a borough in southern Monmouth County, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore at the mouth of the Manasquan River. Brielle, Sea Girt and Wall Township border it, and Point Pleasant Beach lies across the inlet in Ocean County.

What can you see on the Manasquan Webcam?

The camera looks over the surf zone on the north side of Manasquan Inlet. Breaking waves fill the middle of the frame, with the beach, a low cluster of rocks and resting gulls in the foreground and the Atlantic horizon at the top.

Is Manasquan Inlet good for surfing?

It is one of the best known breaks on the East Coast. The north jetty corrals and refracts swell onto the sandbars beside it, producing a right-hand wave that is often larger than on nearby beaches.

What is the weather like in Manasquan?

Winters are cold, with January averaging 4.4 C (40 F) highs and minus 3.9 C (25 F) lows. Summers are warm and humid, with July highs of 28.4 C (83 F). Annual precipitation is about 1,181 millimeters (46.5 inches).

How warm is the ocean at Manasquan?

The water averages about 3 C (37 F) in January and about 21 C (69 F) in July, so surfers wear wetsuits for most of the year.

When was Manasquan Inlet built?

The inlet was dug out and stabilized with stone jetties by the Army Corps of Engineers, and it officially reopened on August 29, 1931. The jetty rock came from the excavation of the Second Avenue Subway in Manhattan.

What town is across the inlet from Manasquan?

Point Pleasant Beach, in Ocean County, sits on the south side of the inlet. It is home to Jenkinson’s Boardwalk and Aquarium.

Who runs the Manasquan Webcam?

The camera is operated by SurfChex, which runs surf cams from New Jersey down to the Carolinas and shows this feed with live wind and weather data for the inlet.

Source: SurfChex