
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, S swell with 152 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cove Cape May this week:
The surf forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove Cape May in the next 16 days are 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me tell you how the next couple of weeks are shaping up here at The Cove Cape May. I gotta be straight with you, it’s looking pretty flat and grim for quite a while. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing worth paddling out for, so don’t get your hopes up.
The whole 16-day window is a bummer. From Friday the 17th of July all the way through to the end of the month, it’s just one poor surf condition report after another. The swell is tiny, mostly around 0.3ft to 3ft, and the energy is weak – you’re looking at combined swell energy values in the low double digits and thirties, sometimes barely cracking 100. That’s not enough to push a ripple, let alone a wave you can ride.
There is a slight pulse of period on the morning of Saturday the 18th of July, with a 14-second period from the SSE, but the swell’s only 0.3ft. It’s a tease. The wind that day is onshore and stormy, so it’s not even clean. The biggest height we see is 5ft on the afternoon of the 18th, but it’s a messy 5-second period with strong onshore wind, which is just choppy junk.
We get some clean conditions here and there, like Sunday morning the 19th of July with a light cross-offshore breeze and some clearer skies, or Saturday the 25th of July which is dead glassy in the morning. But even then, the swell is barely 2ft. It’s not surfable.
The period kicks up a little on Wednesday the 22nd of July – a 9-second SSE swell with energy hitting 101, but the wind is cross-shore and the height is only 3ft. It’s still poor. The coastal wind is a mess for most of these days, with strong breezes and even a risk of thunderstorms.
Honestly, there isn’t a single standout session in this entire outlook. The waves just aren’t here. If you’re desperate for a splash, maybe the glassy morning of Saturday the 25th of July could give you a tiny, gutless little ankle-snapper, but it’s not worth the drive. The water temp is sitting at a warm 76°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s the only bright side.
This is a real quiet spell for The Cove. A blank run like this is more normal for the area when the summer pattern settles in. We just have to wait for a better system. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this poor for too long before something shifts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 45mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, near gales from the SW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Tue night, light winds from the NNW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 4 | SE 8 | E 14 | S 3 | S 5 | S 7 | SSE 7 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 97 | 72 | 37 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 12 | 25 | 33 | 88 | 86 | 32 | 25 | 26 | 23 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:11AM1.49m | 11:24PM1.72m | 12:03PM1.48m | 00:12AM1.58m | 12:55PM1.46m | 1:02AM1.44m | 1:48PM1.44m | 1:54AM1.30m | 2:42PM1.42m | 2:50AM1.18m | 3:37PM1.42m | 3:49AM1.10m | 4:31PM1.43m | 4:49AM1.06m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:56PM-0.02m | 5:40AM-0.08m | 5:50PM0.06m | 6:27AM-0.01m | 6:47PM0.15m | 7:14AM0.08m | 7:45PM0.23m | 8:02AM0.16m | 8:46PM0.29m | 8:52AM0.23m | 9:48PM0.32m | 9:42AM0.27m | 10:47PM0.32m | ||||||||
5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | |
— | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 14 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 21 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 18 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 27 | 20 | 24 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SSE 7 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | E 12 | SSE 5 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 37 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 33 | 88 | 86 | 32 | 25 | 26 | 23 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | — | E 14 | SE 14 | E 9 | E 8 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 3 | SE 12 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 12 | — | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | SSE 10 | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 7 |
3 | — | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | 12 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | SE 13 | — | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | — | S 9 | SE 8 | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — |
— | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 7 | — | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 3 | S 4 | S 3 | S 3 | S 5 | S 7 | WNW 3 | WNW 2 | — | NNE 2 | ESE 3 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 4 | WSW 3 | WNW 4 | NW 3 | NNW 3 | — | — | — |
1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 97 | 72 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 19 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1442 | 1008 | 1016 | 1016 | 93 | 21 | 7 | 37 | 38 | 234 | 380 | 242 | 2192 | 1170 | 134 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 38 | 21 | 37 |
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.










