Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 12s period, SE swell with 22 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cove Cape May this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove Cape May in the next 16 days are 0.3m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the Cape May region. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag, and for the most part, it’s pretty quiet. The water temp here at The Cove Cape May is sitting around 75°F, which is bang on normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick suit.
We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak surf ahead. From now through the end of August, everything is coming in small and messy. The combined swell energy is almost always below 100, which is a clear sign of very weak wave power. The best you’ll see is a few 1ft to 3ft shots, but they’re coming from odd directions and with poor conditions. There’s a lot of onshore or cross-onshore wind in there, and quite a few afternoons are threatened by storms. Honestly, for the paddle surfer, this is a write-off.
Then, we hit a bit of a gap. From the 30th of August through the 1st of September, the swell tries to build, but it’s still not happening. The energy is finally starting to show a little life, hitting 140 to 201 on the combined scale, but the heights are still only around 2ft to 2ft. The saving grace on the 31st of August is glassy conditions in the afternoon, and the 1st of September has some clean cross-off winds, but the waves are just too small and ordinary to get excited about.
The real standout window, and the only time I’d point you to the water, is the morning of the 2nd of September. We’re looking at a 2ft, 11-second period swell from the southeast, with a combined energy of 243. That’s the most juice we see in the whole run. The winds are a light cross-off from the east, keeping things clean. It’s not a big day, but it’s the best of a quiet bunch. The Cove is a point break that’s fairly exposed to the SE, which is exactly the direction we need, so it should line up alright. Keep in mind this spot is a point break, so that longer period swell (11 seconds) will wrap in nicely. Crowds are a possibility here, as it’s often busy.
After that, the 3rd of September has a brief glassy morning, but the swell drops right back off. The rest of the outlook is a return to small, weak, and messy conditions.
So, to sum it up: don’t bother with the first ten days. The only real chance to get a fun, clean wave is the morning of the 2nd of September. It’s not a classic, but it’s our best shot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 72mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 28°C on Sun night, min 21°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | S 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 22 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:08AM1.13m | 2:49PM1.41m | 3:10AM1.06m | 3:49PM1.41m | 4:15AM1.05m | 4:48PM1.44m | 5:16AM1.07m | 5:41PM1.49m | 6:08AM1.12m | 6:28PM1.56m | 6:53AM1.19m | 7:11PM1.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:08PM0.34m | 8:03AM0.33m | 9:11PM0.39m | 8:58AM0.37m | 10:13PM0.39m | 9:56AM0.38m | 11:11PM0.36m | 10:52AM0.35m | 00:01AM0.31m | 11:43AM0.30m | 00:44AM0.25m | 12:30PM0.24m | 1:22AM0.19m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | 13 | 34 | — | 5 | 17 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 28 | 27 | 25 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 21 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | S 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | ESE 9 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SE 11 | E 5 |
| kJ | 22 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 7 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | S 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 13 | ESE 8 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 6 | SE 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 3 | 18 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | — | — | E 16 | E 15 | E 15 | SE 14 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 4 | SE 12 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 5 | E 6 | — | — | — | S 6 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 3 | S 3 | S 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | E 5 | E 5 | SW 3 | — | SSE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 2 | ENE 4 | E 5 | — |
| kJ | — | 3 | 1 | 10 | 30 | 25 | 22 | 15 | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 23 | 17 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 555 | 151 | 216 | 555 | 18 | 1045 | 415 | 36 | 507 | 125 | 330 | 81 | 109 | 38 | 60 | 36 | 81 | 216 | 344 | 105 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Cove Cape May Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Cove Cape May provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Cove Cape May can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Cove Cape May 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 (The Cove Cape May) 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 The Cove Cape May 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.
The Cove Cape May is 50 km (31 miles) from Ocean City. If you plan a vacation in New Jersey, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ocean City. Ocean City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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