Surf Forecasts:
Sandy Hook/The Cove surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, SSE swell with 39 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Sandy Hook/The Cove this week:
The surf forecast for Sandy Hook/The Cove over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Sandy Hook/The Cove in the next 16 days are 0.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sandy Hook/The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let me tell you, the next 16 days at Sandy Hook/The Cove are a total bust. There’s nothing to get excited about for a paddle. The waves are tiny to flat, and when a little bump shows up, the wind spoils it.
We kick off on Wednesday, August 5th, with a tiny 1ft swell from the SE, but the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. The energy is weak (29 and 28). No dice.
From Thursday through the rest of the first week, the swell stays below 2ft, mostly from the SSE. The wind does clean up a few times – we get some offshore and cross-off winds, especially Friday morning and Saturday with a gentle offshore breeze. The water is clean, but the waves are just too small to ride. The combined energy is in the teens, which is basically nothing.
The second week doesn’t improve. From Monday, August 11th, through the following Wednesday, the swell sits between 0.7ft and 1ft. There’s a glassy moment on Wednesday, August 12th morning, and another glassy spell on Friday, August 14th morning, but the swell is only 0.7ft. It’s flat calm, nice to look at, but not surfable.
The only time the swell tries to push a little is around Sunday, August 16th, when it hits 2ft to 3ft from the SE, with combined energy hitting 36. But it’s glassy in the morning, then gets wrecked by a moderate cross-shore breeze in the afternoon. The water is much warmer than normal at 77°F on the 5th, about 4°F above average, which is notable, but it doesn’t help the waves.
The final days, from the 17th onward, the swell stays small and the wind turns messy with cross-onshore flow and even a risk of thunderstorms. The period does stretch to 10 seconds by the 19th, hinting at a little more energy, but the swell height is only 1ft with an offshore wind. It’s clean, but not worth paddling out for.
Honestly, it’s a dry spell. For a beach and reef setup like this, the lack of consistent swell is a bummer, but it happens. If you’re keen, the kite surfers might find something in the stronger winds later, but for paddle surfing, there’s nothing here. The forecasts can shift, but right now, the board stays in the car.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the W by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 35°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 15 | 19 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 12:54PM1.51m | 1:17AM1.26m | 1:50PM1.53m | 2:19AM1.23m | 2:52PM1.56m | 3:27AM1.22m | 4:00PM1.59m | 4:40AM1.26m | 5:10PM1.64m | 5:48AM1.34m | 6:12PM1.70m | 6:47AM1.44m | 7:07PM1.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:14PM0.32m | 7:09AM0.18m | 8:34PM0.31m | 8:23AM0.20m | 9:46PM0.25m | 9:36AM0.17m | 10:49PM0.16m | 10:42AM0.12m | 11:47PM0.07m | 11:43AM0.05m | 00:41AM-0.02m | 12:41PM0.00m | 1:33AM-0.09m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 33 | 33 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 35 | 34 | 26 | 30 | 29 |
Feels °C | 24 | 26 | 27 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 35 | 35 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 35 | 35 | 26 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | S 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 9 | SSE 6 |
| kJ | 15 | 7 | 6 | 12 | — | 20 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | E 10 | SE 6 | E 10 | — | — | E 11 | SE 8 | E 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | E 9 | E 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | — | SE 10 | SE 9 | — | SE 9 |
| kJ | 14 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | 3 | — | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | E 8 | — | — | E 12 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 6 | S 4 | S 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | — | S 6 | — | — | S 4 | — | — | — | — | W 3 | W 3 | — | — | SE 6 | — |
| kJ | — | 19 | 12 | 33 | 18 | 83 | — | 44 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 9 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 191 | 1214 | 212 | 11 | 859 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 229 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 64 | 64 | 132 |
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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