Surf Forecasts:
Sandy Hook/The Cove surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, ESE swell with 47 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 0.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sandy Hook/The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down for the imperial crew. Same story, different numbers: we’ve got a long, dry spell before anything worthwhile shows up. Sandy Hook/The Cove (beach and reef) is the only spot, and we’re looking at a solid 14-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for.
From Saturday, September 12th right through to Friday, September 25th, it’s all tiny, weak slop. The swell is barely a whisper, mostly 0.7 ft to 2 ft from the SE or ESE, with combined energy readings in the low double digits (20 to 60). That’s not wave energy, that’s just wind chop. Wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, often 15 to 30 mph – not what you want. On Sunday the 13th afternoon, we get a brief moment of glassy conditions on a tiny 1 ft swell, but it’s so weak (period of only 5 seconds) it’s barely a bump. Honestly, unless you’re on a longboard and just want to float, don’t bother. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Now, hang in there. Things start to stir in the second week. Wednesday, September 24th afternoon brings our first real kick: a 3 ft ESE swell with combined energy jumping to 45. But the wind is a howling 28 mph from the NNW, making a mess. It’s not until Friday the 25th afternoon that we get a real change. That’s when we see a clean 3 ft ESE swell (period 7 seconds), combined energy hitting a moderate 116, and the wind dies to glassy. The waves will be surfable, but conditions are still just “very ordinary.”
The best on offer in the whole 16-day window? Saturday, September 26th morning. That’s the standout. We get a 4 ft ESE groundswell, period of 8 seconds, and the combined wave energy jumps to a solid 302 – that’s moderate but the strongest we’ve seen. The wind is dead calm, glassy as can be, and the water temp is about average for this time of year. The swell direction (ESE) matches up perfectly with what the spot likes. It’ll be clean, with some proper shape. But heads up – it can get crowded there sometimes, so get in early. After that, Sunday the 27th morning drops back down but still offers clean, waist-high waves with a light offshore breeze (6 mph from the WSW) and a 2 ft ESE swell.
So, short story: don’t even look at the ocean until Friday, September 25th. Your one real shot is Saturday the 26th morning – that’s the day to be in the water. Everything after that is promising but still second-week territory, so keep your fingers crossed.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 17°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the NNW by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Mon night, calm by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3 | 13 | 14 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 31 | 31 | 34 | 38 | 34 | 26 | 12 | 10 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | off | glassy | off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 8:21PM1.65m | 8:49AM1.67m | 9:03PM1.58m | 9:31AM1.65m | 9:46PM1.49m | 10:14AM1.59m | 10:31PM1.39m | 10:58AM1.52m | 11:19PM1.29m | 11:45AM1.45m | 00:09AM1.21m | 12:33PM1.39m | 1:01AM1.15m | ||||||
Low Tide | 2:36AM-0.07m | 2:57PM0.00m | 3:16AM-0.02m | 3:40PM0.05m | 3:53AM0.05m | 4:22PM0.12m | 4:29AM0.15m | 5:03PM0.21m | 5:04AM0.26m | 5:47PM0.31m | 5:42AM0.36m | 6:39PM0.40m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | 7:12 | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 7 | 10 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 27 | 26 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 24 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 30 | 27 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | 3 | 13 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 34 | 38 | 34 | 26 | 12 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | S 5 | — | — | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 15 | — | E 14 | SE 13 | E 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | — | 4 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | — | SE 14 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 12 |
| kJ | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 2 | SE 3 | SSE 4 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | NE 3 | E 5 | ESE 6 | — | — | SE 3 | — | SSW 2 | SSE 3 | S 4 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 31 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 13 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 551 | 990 | 593 | 264 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 36 | 132 | 423 | 36 | 911 | 60 | 183 | 158 | 5 | 5 | 680 | 229 |
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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