Surf Forecasts:
Sandy Hook/The Cove surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, SSE swell with 41 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 0.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sandy Hook/The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for Sandy Hook / The Cove.
Look, we’re in for a long, quiet spell. There’s a whole lot of nothing on offer for the next couple of weeks. This is a classic summer flat spell for this stretch of beach and reef. The water is much warmer than average right now at 78°, so if you just want a float, it’s beautiful. But for a wave? You’ll be waiting.
From Saturday the 15th right through to Saturday the 29th of August, it’s brutally small and messy. We’re talking ankle-snappers at best, with swell heights barely scraping 2ft most days. The wind is all over the shop – mostly cross and cross-onshore, which just chops up what little energy there is. There’s no real push, no power. The combined swell energy is weak as dishwater, mostly sitting in the low double digits (6 to 90 range). It’s just not worth paddling out for.
Now, there is a little glimmer at the very end of the run. Sunday morning, August 30th, things start to look a bit more interesting. We’ve got a glassy morning, dead calm wind, and a 3ft swell rolling in from the ESE with a period of 8 seconds. The energy jumps up to a moderate 184, which is finally enough to push a wave. It’s still not big, but it’s the first time the conditions line up to be surfable. It’s not a stand-out by any means, but if you’re desperate for a knee-high runner with clean conditions, that Sunday morning window is your only real play in the whole outlook.
Because the surf is so small for weeks, and then finally shows a pulse, that Sunday the 30th is the pick of a very lean bunch. It’s clean, glassy, and the first sign of life.
Stay patient, or find a lake. We’ll see if the forecasts improve.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Mon night, min 21°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Sun night, calm by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue night, min 22°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 9 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 41 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 29 | 5 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:06AM1.59m | 10:19PM1.56m | 10:55AM1.56m | 11:07PM1.45m | 11:43AM1.51m | 11:56PM1.34m | 12:30PM1.47m | 00:45AM1.25m | 1:16PM1.42m | 1:34AM1.17m | 2:03PM1.38m | 2:25AM1.12m | 2:54PM1.35m | 3:21AM1.10m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:06PM0.03m | 4:30AM-0.04m | 4:51PM0.12m | 5:08AM0.06m | 5:36PM0.21m | 5:48AM0.18m | 6:26PM0.31m | 6:31AM0.29m | 7:25PM0.38m | 7:24AM0.38m | 8:31PM0.42m | 8:27AM0.43m | 9:33PM0.40m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 31 | 32 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 29 | 28 | 21 | 24 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | E 4 | E 4 | SE 9 | SE 8 | — | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 9 | SSE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 6 | SE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | 21 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SSE 9 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | SSE 4 | SE 10 | — | SE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | — | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 3 | 4 | — | 3 | 7 | 2 | — | 4 | 9 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | — | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 12 | SE 11 | — | — | — | S 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | S 15 | SE 14 | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | SE 2 | S 3 | SSE 6 | S 3 | SSE 4 | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | — | — | SSE 3 | — | ENE 3 | SE 8 | — | — | SE 8 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | 6 | — | 1 | 11 | — | — | 29 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1555 | 2649 | 1297 | 1360 | 2649 | 1225 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 23 | 191 | 5 | 5 | 374 | 64 | 23 | 551 | 423 | 691 | 981 | 375 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Sandy Hook/The Cove surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest