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The Pit, United States

Stay in Long Branch: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Long Branch

All 23 on Long Branch's map

Watch this spot We email you when The Pit is worth the trip.

Long Branch, NJ beach, Oct. 2020 (2)
Near The Pit. Photo: Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The Pit

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (103°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (283°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 33). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 5°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 24°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually September and October, with about 2 good days in 7; in July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Long Branch, 2.5 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 5 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), direct.

    See flights MDW → EWR · Skyscanner from about £135 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to The Pit.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Long BranchAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Long Branch · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Long Branch · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Pit on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The Pit does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct212 ft5 smushy20kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct224 ft6 smushy144kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct266 ft7 smushy279kJ18°C
Wed 21Oct145 ft8 smushy229kJ15°C
Thu 22Oct544 ft7 smushy195kJ18°C
Fri 23Oct182 ft7 smushy44kJ12°C
Sat 24Oct212 ft4 smushy12kJ11°C
Sun 25Oct131 ft4 smushy5kJ14°C
Mon 26Oct81 ft7 shollow5kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct81 ft8 smushy22kJ14°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to EWR, then 1h 10 by road. About 5h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Sands

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, wind 7 kn (14 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Sands

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf The Pit

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to EWR, then 1h 10 by road. About 5h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Long Branch each day: Monmouth beach, Pavilion Ave, Long Branch, Sands, Seven Presidents, The Pit.

The trip from Long Branch, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £930–£1,655 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to EWR, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£135–£275
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£930–£1,655

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Long Branch

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.