Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period, S swell with 255 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period with S 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove Cape May in the next 16 days are 1.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for The Cove Cape May is a flat spell, plain and simple. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak surf, and for most of it, you’d be better off doing something else.
For the first week, from Saturday the 15th right through until at least Wednesday the 20th, we’re talking ankle-snappers to knee-high dribble at best. Swell heights barely scrape 2ft, and the period is short and weak – a lot of that energy is under 50 (combined energy of all swells directed here). The winds are messy too, with a lot of cross-onshore stuff that's going to make it choppy and bumpy. There's a brief moment early on Tuesday morning the 18th with some clean, light cross-offshore breeze, but with only 1ft of swell, there’s just nothing to ride.
Things get a little more interesting towards the end of the run. The morning of Monday the 24th of August has glassy conditions with a light 2ft of swell from the south. The wind is dead calm – that’s a rare treat – but it’s still tiny. Then we see a small pulse on the morning of the 26th of August, with a 3ft south-southwest swell and a light cross-shore wind. The combined energy climbs to about 72, which is the most we'll see, but it's still weak. The swell direction is SSW, which leans into the Cove's optimum SE direction, so it might wrap in a little. Still, 3ft is small, and the period is short at 6 seconds, meaning it'll be a bit weak and peaky.
The absolute best bet in this entire outlook is the morning of Monday the 25th of August. It’s not a standout by any means, but it’s the best of a bad lot. You’ve got a 2ft swell from the south, a light offshore breeze from the WSW, and clean conditions. Don't expect barrels, but on a longboard, you might find a few soft, tiny runners if you’re patient. Crowds are "often" here, but on a day this small, they shouldn’t be a problem.
Honestly, this is a quiet period for the Cove. For the vast majority of the 16 days, the surf is flat or close to it. If you’ve got a kite, you might have some fun on the 17th of August afternoon with the 12 mph NW cross-offshore wind, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a long wait for very little reward.
Stay patient, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Sun afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Fri night, fresh winds from the SSW by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 221 | 89 | 36 | 25 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 24 | 33 | 68 | 33 | 25 | 8 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 10:11PM1.77m | 10:42AM1.61m | 10:55PM1.66m | 11:28AM1.58m | 11:39PM1.52m | 12:14PM1.55m | 00:24AM1.37m | 1:02PM1.49m | 1:13AM1.24m | 1:53PM1.44m | 2:08AM1.13m | 2:49PM1.41m | 3:10AM1.06m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:21AM-0.08m | 4:34PM0.00m | 5:03AM-0.02m | 5:24PM0.09m | 5:45AM0.07m | 6:16PM0.18m | 6:28AM0.17m | 7:10PM0.27m | 7:13AM0.26m | 8:08PM0.34m | 8:03AM0.33m | 9:11PM0.39m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | 7:55 | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 30 |
Feels °C | 29 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 32 | 33 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | SE 9 | SSE 6 | SE 9 | — | — | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 11 | SE 10 | — | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 5 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 89 | 36 | 25 | 17 | 10 | 30 | 24 | — | 20 | 11 | 11 | 8 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 6 | SE 9 | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | ENE 4 | SSE 6 | S 6 | ENE 4 | — | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 5 | SE 5 | — | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | NE 4 | E 4 | — | — | — | — | E 6 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 13 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | S 6 | — | W 2 | NNW 2 | — | — | — | — | SSE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | NW 4 |
| kJ | — | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 221 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 68 | 33 | 25 | 12 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 372 | 1377 | 2670 | 1377 | 1176 | 1177 | 1128 | 15 | 38 | 36 | 216 | 380 | 66 | 109 | 553 | 823 | 15 | 36 | 51 |
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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