
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, ESE swell with 78 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 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty, and I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf around The Cove Cape May. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead, but honestly, there’s a big fat gap at the start with nothing to write home about.
Right now, the water temp is sitting at a pretty normal 73°, so that’s the one thing that’s on our side. But the swell? Forget it. For the first nine days, from Sunday the 12th all the way through to Monday the 21st of July, the waves are just tiny – mostly under 2 ft. The energy is weak, barely registering. The wind is a mess too, mostly cross or cross-on, and the period is short and choppy. It’s a long dry spell, nearly a week and a half where you’re better off doing something else.
The first real bump in the road comes on Tuesday the 21st of July. We finally see a 3 ft swell from the south, with a moderate energy bump. But the wind is straight onshore, and the period is a weak 6 seconds. The morning has a light breeze, but the afternoon gets a fresh cross-on. It’s still a poor surf day, but at least there’s a little bit of shape compared to the flatness before it. The Cove is a point break, so it can handle some swell, but with that wind and short period, it’s going to be messy.
After that, it’s back to the same old story. The rest of the week and into the next weekend (July 22nd to July 27th) we’re looking at 1 ft to 2 ft swells, mostly from the south, with cross-on winds and choppy conditions. The energy stays low. The period is short, around 5 to 6 seconds, so it’s just windswell junk. There’s nothing here that gets the heart pumping.
Look, I’m not going to hype up something that isn’t there. The best of a bad bunch is the morning of Tuesday the 21st, with that 3 ft south swell and a light breeze. But even then, it’s a poor surf day. For the rest of the 16 days, the surf is flat to tiny, and the wind is mostly wrong. If you’re desperate, you might get a knee-high crumbler, but that’s it. This is one of those stretches where you just wait for the next forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 35°C on Wed afternoon, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | S 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
4 | 4 | 44 | 39 | 23 | 13 | 30 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 31 | 14 | 20 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 7:03PM1.87m | 7:35AM1.33m | 7:59PM1.93m | 8:32AM1.39m | 8:53PM1.94m | 9:26AM1.44m | 9:44PM1.91m | 10:19AM1.48m | 10:34PM1.84m | 11:11AM1.49m | 11:24PM1.72m | 12:03PM1.48m | 00:12AM1.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:14PM-0.05m | 1:27AM-0.06m | 1:14PM-0.10m | 2:21AM-0.12m | 2:11PM-0.12m | 3:13AM-0.16m | 3:06PM-0.12m | 4:03AM-0.16m | 4:01PM-0.09m | 4:52AM-0.13m | 4:56PM-0.02m | 5:40AM-0.08m | 5:50PM0.06m | ||||||||
5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | |
— | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 35 | 33 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 24 |
Feels °C | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 27 | 35 | 33 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 6 | SE 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
3 | 4 | 4 | 39 | 12 | 13 | 30 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 10 | — | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 17 | — | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | ENE 5 |
4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | 5 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 5 | — | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 6 | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 7 | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 14 | — | SE 13 | SE 13 |
— | — | — | 1 | — | 12 | 14 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 7 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 5 | ESE 6 | — | ESE 6 | — | — | S 3 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — | S 5 | NW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | N 3 | NNW 3 | — | SSW 2 |
32 | 25 | 44 | — | 23 | — | — | 4 | 22 | 11 | 15 | 31 | — | 20 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 296 | 1142 | 497 | 730 | 2464 | 36 | 7 | 629 | 247 | 242 | 15 | 27 | 60 | 354 | 547 | 497 | 497 | 1016 | 497 | 816 | 727 |
Best forecast wave conditions in New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










