Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, SE swell with 84 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 0.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty. Let me break down what’s ahead at The Cove Cape May.
The honest truth is we’ve got a long, dry spell to start. From Saturday the 22nd of August right through to about Saturday the 29th, there’s almost nothing doing. Swell heights stay under 2 ft, with short periods, and combined energy readings between 38 and 92 – all weak. Winds are all over the place – cross, cross-on, cross-off – and none of it lines up well with the optimum southeast direction. Just tiny lumps of wind chop.
Come Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st of August, there’s a slight bump in energy. Monday morning shows a 1 ft southeast swell with a very long period of 19 seconds, and combined energy hits 106 (moderate energy). But it comes with a risk of thunderstorms and a light cross-onshore breeze. That long-period swell tends to flatten out on a beach setup, and with the onshore wind, it’s not clean.
The only real window that’s worth your time is Tuesday the 1st of September. In the morning, you’ve got 1 ft from the southeast, period about 15 seconds, and a northwest wind at 12 mph – cross-off and clean. By the afternoon, still 1 ft, period 14 seconds, combined energy at 101 (moderate), and winds from the northwest at 9 mph, cross-off, and clean. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary – the best of a pretty quiet forecast. The Cove is a point break, fairly consistent, intermediate-level, and it’s exposed to that SE swell, but the size never gets above knee-high. Crowds are often here, so expect some company.
Wednesday the 2nd of September falls apart with onshore winds and poor conditions. Thursday the 3rd of September shows a brief window of light winds and clean conditions with 1 ft waves from the southeast at 10 seconds (combined energy 58–61), though there’s a risk of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
From Friday the 4th through Sunday the 6th of September, the surf drops right off again, down to less than 1 ft. The whole run just trickles away.
Bottom line: if you want the cleanest, most surfable conditions, mark Tuesday the 1st of September. It’s small, but it’s the best we’ve got. For a point break that relies on a decent southeast groundswell, this is a pretty lean two weeks.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 9 | ENE 6 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | SSE 5 | ESE 12 | SE 6 | ESE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 24 | 45 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 9 | 63 | 21 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 4:15AM1.05m | 4:48PM1.44m | 5:16AM1.07m | 5:41PM1.49m | 6:08AM1.12m | 6:28PM1.56m | 6:53AM1.19m | 7:11PM1.62m | 7:34AM1.28m | 7:50PM1.66m | 8:12AM1.36m | 8:27PM1.68m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:13PM0.39m | 9:56AM0.38m | 11:11PM0.36m | 10:52AM0.35m | 00:01AM0.31m | 11:43AM0.30m | 00:44AM0.25m | 12:30PM0.24m | 1:22AM0.19m | 1:13PM0.19m | 1:57AM0.13m | 1:54PM0.14m | 2:31AM0.08m | ||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | 7:46 | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — |
mm | — | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 22 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 22 | 19 | 20 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 13 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | ESE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | E 12 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 21 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | SE 14 | SE 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | SE 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | E 14 | E 14 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | E 11 |
| kJ | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 23 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | — | — | SE 13 | E 8 | E 7 | ESE 12 | — | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | SE 9 | — | E 12 | E 8 |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | 7 | 4 | 4 | 14 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 6 | E 8 | E 4 | SW 2 | WSW 3 | WNW 3 | — | WSW 2 | WNW 2 | WNW 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | W 3 | S 4 | S 3 | S 3 | SSE 10 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | — | 24 | 45 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 63 | 8 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 207 | 377 | 372 | 321 | 372 | 151 | 38 | 38 | 81 | 105 | 372 | 372 | 164 | 280 | 536 | 218 | 321 | 1170 | 36 |
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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