The Cove Cape May Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about the Cape May scene for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, looking out over the next 16 days, it’s a pretty grim stretch for The Cove. We’ve got a solid two-week gap here with hardly a whisper of decent surf. The water’s sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for early July—nice for a swim, but that’s about all the good news.

Friday, July 3rd kicks it off with a tiny 0.7 ft ESE swell with a weak combined energy of just 17. Morning has a light cross W/NW breeze, but it’s not enough to make anything of it. Afternoon turns into a complete write-off with a stiff 16 mph onshore S wind.

Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th are glassy in the mornings with a light breeze, but the swell is still pathetic—1.0 ft at best, with energy in the teens. You’d be floating out there. The afternoons get chopped up by onshore breezes and even a risk of thunderstorms.

We roll into the next week, and it’s the same story. Monday the 6th through Thursday the 10th are plagued by tiny swells, mostly from the ESE or SSE. The combined energy rarely breaks 65, which is weak. There are a couple of clean-ish mornings on Wednesday the 8th and Friday the 10th with some cross-offshore wind, but the swell is still only 2 ft to 3 ft with a super short period of 4-7 seconds. That’s just bumpy, gutless stuff.

Saturday, July 11th morning gives us a glimmer—a 2 ft SSE swell at 9 seconds, with clean cross-offshore N/NW wind and energy hitting 83. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon turns sloppy again.

Then from Sunday the 12th all the way through Thursday the 16th, we’re back to flat or near-flat conditions. Wind and rain showers ruin most of it. The energy drops to single digits or the low 20s. There’s nothing to get out of bed for.

Friday, July 17th sees a jump in size—3 ft to 5 ft from the S, but the period is a dismal 4-6 seconds. The combined energy hits 172 (moderate), but with a 25 mph S/SSE wind screaming onshore, it’s going to be a messy, blown-out washing machine. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

Finally, Saturday, July 18th has a cleaner look with a cross-offshore NW breeze in the afternoon, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft with weak energy. It’s a clean end to a flat run.

The best you’re going to find in this entire 16-day window is Wednesday morning, July 8th or perhaps Saturday morning, July 11th at The Cove (Cape May). Both offer a 2-2 ft SSE swell and clean conditions from a cross-offshore breeze. They are surfable but very ordinary. It’s a long, flat stretch ahead, folks. Forecasts can change, but for now, keep the board in the car and don’t hold your breath.

Stay patient,
Rusty

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