Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 56 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 0.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it. We're looking at a pretty quiet stretch for the Cape May area. The good news is that the water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 77°. The bad news is, the surf just isn't there for the next two weeks.
There's really no standout session to get excited about in the entire 16-day window. The first couple of days are a total write-off with tiny, weak swell. We're looking at a long gap with nothing worth paddling out for. The only real action is a slight uptick near the end of the month, but even then, it's not much.
Starting off on Monday the 17th, The Cove Cape May (Cape May) has a tiny 1ft SSE swell with a short period of 5 seconds. The combined wave energy is weak at just 16, and with a light cross-shore wind, it's gonna be sectiony and sloppy.
Tuesday the 18th through Thursday the 29th is just a blur of tiny waves. We see a morning or two of clean conditions with cross-offshore winds, like Wednesday morning the 20th and Saturday morning the 23rd, but the swell is still 1ft or smaller. The energy is low, mostly in the teens. There's a glassy moment on Sunday afternoon the 23rd with a 2ft south swell, but that's the highlight and it's still a poor session.
Around Thursday the 27th of August, we see a jump in the combined swell energy to 153 with a 2ft SE swell. The period is 12 seconds, so there's a bit more push. But the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, ruining any chance of clean waves. This pattern holds for a couple of days with moderate energy, but the wind just can't get out of the way.
The final few days from the 30th of August through the 1st of September see a return to clean, offshore winds. The waves stay small, around 1.0ft to 1ft, with short period SE swell. It'll look pretty, but there's just no power to ride. The combined energy dips back down to the low teens and twenties.
Honestly, with such small, weak swell and poor quality, this Cape May stretch is a total pass. If you're desperate, keep an eye on that Thursday the 27th for a touch more size, but the chop makes it a lost cause.
Signing off, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Thu night, fresh winds from the NE by Sat morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 5 | SE 9 | SSE 6 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 5 | ENE 5 | S 6 | S 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 9 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 56 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 18 | 26 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:24AM1.37m | 1:02PM1.49m | 1:13AM1.24m | 1:53PM1.44m | 2:08AM1.13m | 2:49PM1.41m | 3:10AM1.06m | 3:49PM1.41m | 4:15AM1.05m | 4:48PM1.44m | 5:16AM1.07m | 5:41PM1.49m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:16PM0.18m | 6:28AM0.17m | 7:10PM0.27m | 7:13AM0.26m | 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 | |||||||
 |  | | |  | | | |  |  | |  | |  |  | |  |  | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — |
mm | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 31 | 32 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | S 6 |
| kJ | 9 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 56 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 26 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 4 | SE 9 | SE 13 | SE 9 | NE 4 | — | — | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 9 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | S 5 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | E 7 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 9 | — | SE 12 | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | SE 12 | ESE 12 |
| kJ | 2 | 13 | — | 5 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 2 | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — | SSE 5 | S 4 | — | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | — | S 6 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | 16 | — | 19 | 27 | 32 | 25 | 34 | — | 18 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 205 | 216 | 166 | 325 | 7 | 38 | 1008 | 164 | 342 | 1181 | 105 | 138 | 38 | 507 | 372 | 334 | 247 | 236 | 21 | 7 |
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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