Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period, SSE swell with 75 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 0.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bloody flat for The Cove Cape May. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing, then a little pulse of energy right at the end that might be worth a look.
The first real chance of a wave isn’t until Tuesday, September 1st. Yeah, that’s over a week away. Before that, it’s a whole lot of ankle-slappers and closeouts. From now through the end of August, the swell is tiny – we’re talking 0.7ft to 2ft at best, with weak energy. The combined energy readings are all in the low two digits (8-55), which tells you there’s just nothing pushing in. Winds are mostly cross or cross-off, but it doesn’t matter when there’s no wave to groom. A couple of days have a bit of chop, but mostly it’s clean but flat. There’s a slight bump on the 26th and the 28th, but it’s still poor and messy, with the 28th seeing 3ft of short-period slop and strong onshore winds – that’s more of a kitesurfing day, honestly.
The water temp is 77°F, which is a touch warmer than average, but not a big deal.
Now, here’s the one bright spot. Tuesday, September 1st, in the afternoon, things finally line up. We’ve got a weak SE swell at 3ft, period of 7 seconds. The energy is still modest – 69 – but it’s the best we’ve seen in two weeks. Wind is light easterly, cross-off, keeping it clean. It’s not going to blow your mind, but it’s surfable, which is a win at this point. The Cove is a point break, fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the SE, which matches up. It’s got an intermediate level, and while crowds are often there, for a small wave like this, it might not be too packed.
The morning of that day is a little smaller, still clean with a light NNE offshore, but the afternoon has that slight edge in size. After that, Wednesday, September 2nd morning has a similar 3ft swell, but the wind picks up a bit, making it less clean. The afternoon sees energy jump to 108 (moderate), but the swell drops slightly to 2ft, still with that short period.
So, the short story is: don’t get your hopes up for the next week. If you absolutely need a paddle, the 1st of September afternoon is your best bet. It’s a long-range call, so treat it as promising but not a lock. Otherwise, we wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 29°C on Wed night, min 22°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 14 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 5 | ENE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 12 | SE 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 22 | 56 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 15 | 21 | 19 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 6:08AM1.12m | 6:28PM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:43AM0.30m | 00:44AM0.25m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | |  | | |  |  |  |  |  | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 29 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 27 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 |
| kJ | 22 | 56 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | NE 4 | — | — | — | S 3 | — | — | ESE 8 | S 5 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 7 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 19 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | SE 5 | SE 5 | E 6 | E 15 | E 15 | — | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 8 | E 7 | — | E 7 | E 7 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | — | — | S 3 | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | E 4 | E 5 | E 5 | S 4 | S 4 | SSE 5 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | WSW 2 | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 5 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 354 | 21 | 38 | 555 | 164 | 207 | 537 | 255 | 603 | 2670 | 552 | 321 | 321 | 81 | 939 | 321 | 36 | 60 | 37 | 81 |
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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