Surf Forecasts:
Sandy Hook/The Cove surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, SE swell with 64 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Sandy Hook/The Cove this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Sandy Hook/The Cove in the next 16 days are 1.1m 5s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sandy Hook/The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Sandy Hook/The Cove, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead. This is a beach and reef setup, and for the next week and a half, the ocean is just not delivering. We’re in a real flat spell. From Wednesday, July 15th, all the way through to Friday, July 24th, the waves are tiny – we’re talking mostly 0.3ft to 2ft – with combined swell energy barely scraping into double digits (5 to 74). That’s whisper-quiet, weak energy. The wind gets clean at times, especially Thursday morning, July 16th, with a gentle offshore breeze, and even a glassy moment on Friday morning, July 17th, but there’s no swell to work with, so it’s just a slick, flat lake. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real hint of something happening finally shows up on Friday, July 24th, in the morning. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the east, with a period of 7 seconds, and combined energy pushes into the moderate range at 194. The wind is cross-onshore from the ESE at 15 km/h, so it’ll be a bit bumpy, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions,” so don’t get your hopes up. It’s still a small, wind-affected wave.
Then, things start to get a little more interesting for the last few days of the month. On Saturday, July 26th, the morning brings a 6ft swell from the SSE, with combined energy hitting 338 – that’s a solid pulse. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore from the NW, keeping the surface clean. The period is short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly, but for Sandy Hook, this is the standout of the whole outlook. This is the one to pencil in for the more experienced crew, as it’s over 5ft and pushing into expert territory. The swell direction is SSE, which is a bit off the optimum ESE direction, but it’s the best we’ve got.
That Sunday afternoon, July 27th, also has a clean 4ft cross-offshore wave, but it’s a drop-off from the morning. By Tuesday, July 29th, there’s another clean 4ft pulse in the afternoon, but with a cross-shore wind, it won’t be as clean.
Overall, the only real chance for a decent surf is that Saturday morning, July 26th. It’s a long way out, so treat it as promising but not locked in. For the rest of the 16 days, the cove is mostly a paddling pool. If you’re a beginner, the small stuff on Saturday, July 26th would be too big anyway, so maybe wait for a smaller day. Crowds? This spot can get busy, especially when a wave shows up, so expect company on that Saturday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 36°C on Wed afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Tue night, calm by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Warm (max 28°C on Fri night, min 19°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tue 21 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | S 15 | SE 15 | S 14 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SE 4 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 31 | 7 | 37 | 6 | 48 | 28 | 23 | 30 | 44 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:13PM1.80m | 8:49AM1.51m | 9:04PM1.77m | 9:43AM1.52m | 9:56PM1.70m | 10:38AM1.52m | 10:49PM1.61m | 11:32AM1.51m | 11:41PM1.50m | 12:22PM1.50m | 00:32AM1.40m | 1:11PM1.47m | 1:20AM1.30m | 1:57PM1.44m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:45AM-0.16m | 2:47PM-0.05m | 3:34AM-0.18m | 3:39PM-0.03m | 4:20AM-0.16m | 4:29PM0.03m | 5:04AM-0.09m | 5:18PM0.12m | 5:48AM-0.00m | 6:11PM0.22m | 6:34AM0.10m | 7:08PM0.30m | 7:24AM0.20m | ||||||||
 | | |  | | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — |
 | 8:24 | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 30 | 36 | 35 | 30 | 34 | 34 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 31 |
Feels °C | 29 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 29 | 27 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | SE 4 | SE 4 | — | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 13 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 31 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 48 | 3 | 23 | 30 | 44 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 14 | S 5 | SE 8 | — | — | ESE 5 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | — | — | — | E 5 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | SE 15 | — | SE 8 | — | — | SE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 8 | — | 3 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | — | W 2 | — | — | W 2 | — | — | SSE 3 | S 3 | — | ESE 4 | — | — | SE 7 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | W 3 | WNW 2 |
| kJ | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 29 | — | — | 37 | 5 | 14 | 28 | 27 | 2 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 423 | 57 | 193 | 132 | 136 | 1223 | 848 | 857 | 2649 | 848 | 848 | 5 | 18 | 36 | 132 | 191 | 149 | 205 | 64 | 5 | 18 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Sandy Hook/The Cove Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Sandy Hook/The Cove provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Sandy Hook/The Cove can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Sandy Hook/The Cove surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Sandy Hook/The Cove) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Sandy Hook/The Cove may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Sandy Hook/The Cove is 13 km (8 miles) from Long Branch. If you plan a vacation in New Jersey, look for hotels and other accommodation in Long Branch. Long Branch has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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