Sandy Hook/The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer for Sandy Hook / The Cove over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, the outlook is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, poor-quality surf with almost no energy behind it. The water is sitting at 77° at the start, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 4° above average, so you can leave the booties at home.

The first week is a real struggle. From Tuesday the 18th right through to the end of August, the waves are mostly under 2 ft, with weak, short-period windswell. The combined energy barely gets into double digits, often sitting between 9 and 49 (weak energy). And the wind is a headache – mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, often howling at 12 to 25 mph, which just tears up what little bump there is. There’s a brief moment on Thursday morning the 20th where it goes glassy, but the swell is only 0.7 ft – not enough to get excited about. The entire first week is a write-off for any real surfing.

We finally see a tiny glimmer of life on Tuesday the 25th afternoon. The swell edges up to 2 ft from the SE, with a period of 11 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 84, still weak, but the wind is a clean cross-off from the south. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. That’s our best bet in the first week.

There’s a stormy spell from Thursday the 27th with strong onshore winds up to 25 mph, and the swell is messy and blown out. Absolutely not for paddle surfing. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else.

The second week doesn’t offer much hope either. We’re looking at constant onshore and cross-onshore winds with tiny swell, mostly under 2 ft. The closest thing to a standout comes right at the tail end on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The afternoon shows a bump to 3 ft from the SE, with period at 6 seconds – short period windswell. The combined energy finally hits 129 (moderate energy), but the wind is cross-shore from the SE at 9 mph, which will put a chop on it. Still, it’s the biggest surf we’ll see all forecast, and it’s only 3 ft, so it’s fine for all levels. If you’re desperate for a paddle, that’s your window.

Overall, this is a blank run. The whole 16-day window is a desert. Sandy Hook / The Cove just isn’t getting any proper swell. It tends not to stay poor for long around here, and forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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