
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, S swell with 119 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 1.2m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it.
Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for The Cove Cape May, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak stretch for a while. The first week and a half is looking like a whole lot of nothing. We’re talking about a solid stretch from now until, well, the 16th, where the swell is just tiny and the wind is mostly junk. You’re looking at knee-high dribble with onshore breezes messing up any chance of a clean face. It’s the kind of week where you’re better off checking the sandbars after a storm, and even then, you might be out of luck.
The first real glimmer of anything surfable doesn’t show up until Monday the 17th. And even that is a bit of a tease. We finally get a pulse of easterly windswell, pushing the surf up to around 4ft. The energy jumps up too, hitting a moderate 107. The problem is the period is short, only 6 seconds, so it’s going to be lumpy and disorganized. Still, the morning of the 17th has a clean look to it with a light offshore breeze, so it might be your best chance to get a few grovelly ones if you’re desperate. The afternoon gets a bit more cross-shore, and honestly, it just doesn’t look like it’s going to offer much more than a closeout.
The swell sticks around for Tuesday the 18th, with similar heights around 3ft and a touch more energy at 165, but the winds are cross-shore again, keeping things messy. It’s surfable, but it’s not going to be pretty. The period is still short, so expect a lot of fat, crumbly waves that don't have much push.
Then, the swell fades back down for the 19th and 20th. We get a bit of glass on the morning of the 19th, but the swell has already dropped back to 2ft. It’s a letdown. The rest of the window is looking flat again.
So, here’s the deal. With this kind of long-range outlook, near-term calls are more reliable, and the long-range stuff on the 17th and 18th is promising but I wouldn’t be making any plans for it. The swell direction is from the east, which is okay for this spot, but it’s not its absolute optimum. The break is fairly consistent, but it needs a decent swell to really work. With the lack of any real size and the constant onshores, this setup looks more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers for most of this period.
It’s a tough one, but it tends not to stay poor for long around here. Forecasts can change. Keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Thu night, light winds from the WNW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 32°C on Sat afternoon, min 23°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 6 | SSE 6 | S 4 | SSE 6 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 45 | 33 | 48 | 47 | 72 | 50 | 31 | 32 | 23 | 35 | 81 | 43 | 30 | 116 | 30 | 20 | 11 | 27 | 18 | 13 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 1:28PM1.52m | 1:45AM1.26m | 2:30PM1.56m | 2:53AM1.19m | 3:38PM1.61m | 4:09AM1.18m | 4:48PM1.68m | 5:22AM1.22m | 5:54PM1.76m | 6:27AM1.30m | 6:53PM1.84m | 7:25AM1.39m | 7:47PM1.89m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:46PM0.26m | 7:45AM0.12m | 8:57PM0.26m | 8:47AM0.12m | 10:08PM0.22m | 9:55AM0.11m | 11:16PM0.15m | 11:02AM0.07m | 00:17AM0.07m | 12:06PM0.01m | 1:13AM-0.02m | 1:05PM-0.05m | 2:04AM-0.08m | ||||||||
6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 11 |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 32 | 31 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 31 |
Feels °C | 28 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 34 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | — | SE 7 | E 9 | — | — | S 6 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 8 | E 9 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 |
25 | — | 8 | 2 | — | — | 32 | 2 | 32 | 18 | 21 | 1 | 43 | 30 | 53 | 30 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 13 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | E 10 | E 10 | — | — | — | E 11 | E 10 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | — | E 9 | E 9 | — | E 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 9 |
7 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 9 | 23 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 13 | — | — | — | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 12 | E 12 | E 8 |
1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 6 | S 4 | SSE 6 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | WNW 3 | — | S 6 | S 6 | — | — | S 6 | WSW 3 | W 3 | W 3 | S 6 | S 6 | — |
— | 45 | 33 | 48 | 47 | 72 | 50 | 31 | 2 | — | 35 | 81 | — | — | 116 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 18 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 118 | 1170 | 603 | 160 | 2464 | 164 | 7 | 169 | 36 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 21 | 29 | 38 | 162 | 399 | 21 | 21 | 60 |
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.











