Re: Jersey Shore...
Depends I guess on what your into. Fishing, tubing, beaching or just cruising. The nearest spot to hit open ocean/bay/rivers is going out of Raritan Bay area. Atlantic Highlands or Keyport. Mosty a fishing area though. Can beach and hang out at a spot or two on the inside of Sandy Hook which is nice and can also explore and fish up into the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers from there.....
If you're into tubing and rafting up and such you have Barnegat Bay further to the South...more of a drive from North Jersey though but alot to do down there, you have Tices Shoal for rafting, crabbing, fishing and Barnegat inlet to get out to open ocean. Any where in between is nice too.