Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, S swell with 138 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 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. I’m looking at the Cape May region, and honestly, for the next 16 days, it’s a tough run. The pattern is flat and weak, with no real swell to speak of. We’ve got a solid week of nothing worthwhile, and then it just keeps looking ordinary. The only break on the radar is The Cove Cape May, a point break that’s fairly consistent, but it’s not going to save us. The water’s sitting at a warm 78°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.
The first real chance of anything happens on the morning of Tuesday, August 18th. We’ve got a tiny 1.0ft SSE swell, but the period is a massive 16 seconds—that’s a very long period groundswell. For a point break like The Cove, that long period should wrap in nicely and give shape, but the size is pathetic. The wind is offshore from the NE at 12 mph, so it’ll be clean. The combined wave energy is weak at 95. It’s just barely surfable, but it’s not a standout. The rest of that week stays small and messy. Wednesday the 19th has a 2ft SE swell with a 12-second period, but the wind is cross-on from the SSE, making it choppy. Combined energy is moderate at 103, but with onshore wind, it’s not worth the paddle.
The best of the whole lot, if you can call it that, is the morning of Thursday, August 20th. The swell is 3ft from the SSE, period 10 seconds, which is a workable short-period swell. The wind is cross-on from the SSE at 16 mph, so it’s gonna be choppy, but the combined energy climbs to 228—that’s moderate wave energy, the strongest we see. This is a point break, so it might handle the cross-on better than a beach. The crowds here are often, so you won’t be alone. It’s not a classic day, but it’s the only pulse of size in the whole window. For a beginner, 3ft is fine, but the chop will make it tricky.
The rest of the run is a dead loss. Tiny swells under 2ft, mostly cross-on or onshore winds, and a lot of “poor surf conditions” in the data. The second week from August 21st onward is just flat and weak with no real energy. There’s no standout, no session to get excited about. The Cove is a consistent spot, but it needs more than this to come alive. Hang in there, but don’t plan a trip around it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Thu night, min 22°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 18°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sat afternoon, strong winds from the S by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSW 3 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 6 | S 4 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 7 | S 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 6 | 4 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 48 | 128 | 76 | 36 | 22 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | on | off | cross | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 7:47PM1.89m | 8:18AM1.48m | 8:38PM1.90m | 9:08AM1.55m | 9:25PM1.86m | 9:56AM1.60m | 10:11PM1.77m | 10:42AM1.61m | 10:55PM1.66m | 11:28AM1.58m | 11:39PM1.52m | 12:14PM1.55m | 00:24AM1.37m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:05PM-0.05m | 2:04AM-0.08m | 2:00PM-0.09m | 2:51AM-0.12m | 2:53PM-0.09m | 3:37AM-0.12m | 3:44PM-0.06m | 4:21AM-0.08m | 4:34PM0.00m | 5:03AM-0.02m | 5:24PM0.09m | 5:45AM0.07m | 6:16PM0.18m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — |
 | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — |
mm | — | 9 | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 27 | 25 | 28 | 21 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | E 4 | S 4 | SE 8 | S 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 9 | — | — | S 7 | SSE 7 | S 6 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 3 | — | — | 76 | 36 | 22 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 4 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 10 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ENE 3 | SE 10 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | — | — | — | — | SSE 9 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 13 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | — | — | E 10 | E 13 | SE 10 | E 13 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | — | SSW 3 | — | — | SSW 3 | WSW 3 | S 4 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NNW 3 | — | — | S 6 | S 4 | S 6 | — | ENE 2 | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | 5 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 48 | 128 | — | 1 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1142 | 2670 | 1142 | 1390 | 1442 | 497 | 1142 | 3101 | 105 | 2308 | 415 | 626 | 105 | 296 | 296 | 1016 | 1178 | 1045 | 7 | 11 | 211 |
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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