The Cove Cape May Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let me be real with you: it's been a lean spell at The Cove Cape May. We're looking at a patch of ocean that's been giving us nothing but flat, weak dribble for a solid week and a half. It’s the kind of stretch that tests your patience.

From the 10th through the 21st, it's pretty much skunked. We're talking tiny, gutless waves with combined energy in the low double digits (like 52, 31, 24). The wind's been all over the shop, mostly cross or onshore, just messing up any chance of a clean ripple. Thursday the 10th is a choppy mess. Friday the 11th has a touch of that crisp NNE offshore air, but there’s only 0.5m (or about 2ft) of nothing underneath it.

There is one small blip on Sunday the 13th in the afternoon—a clean 0.6m (2ft) from the southeast with a light cross-offshore wind. But it's so weak it’s more of a ripple. Not worth a paddle.

Then we have a long, flat nothing from the 14th to the 21st. The 15th is a complete write-off thanks to a moderate SSE cross-onshore that’s gonna chop up the little bumps. The 17th and 19th bring in some stronger offshore winds, but they’re just blowing over flat water. You could waterski.

Now, hang on, because the ocean finally wakes up around Tuesday the 22nd. We see the energy climbing to a moderate 158 in the morning before it jumps. The afternoon of the 22nd sees the energy peak at 485 as a 1.4m (around 5ft) swell from the ESE rolls in with an 8-second period. The wind is a clean cross-offshore E at 20 km/h (12 mph), so it should be a proper, grinding day. This is the signal.

Wednesday the 23rd, though, that’s the big one. We’re looking at a solid 1.8m (6ft) of E swell with a 10-second period and a fresh ENE cross-offshore wind at 30 km/h (18 mph) (Cape May). The combined energy is a strong 942, meaning there's some serious power. This is the clear standout. It’s still a point break, so that cross-off should hold the face open nicely.

Thursday the 24th is a step down, with 0.9m (3ft) from the ESE fading through the day. The morning is damp but clean, and the afternoon turns into a fresh NE offshore, keeping it tidy. There’s still enough energy (around 131-170) for a fun one, just not as big as Wednesday.

And that’s it. By Friday the 25th, we’re back to a fading 0.7m (2ft) with a strong NE cross-off wind. The window closes and it’s flat again.

So here’s the deal: don’t bother with your board for the next week and a half. Save your energy. Circle Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd. That’s our one real shot at a proper surf. It’s a week out, so the exact size might wobble, but the ingredients are all coming together.

Rusty, signing off.

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