The Cove Cape May Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this straight from the start: the 16-day window for The Cove Cape May is a tough one. There’s no real swell to get excited about, and the conditions are messy for the most part. We’ve got a long stretch of flat, weak, and choppy days ahead, so the only real chance to wet a line comes right at the very end.

The opening run from August 19th right through to the end of August is a write-off. Swell heights are tiny, mostly bouncing between 0.3 ft and 2 ft, and the energy is dead – we’re looking at combined energy values barely cracking 70 (34 to 84) for most of that period. The wind is a mixed bag of cross-onshore, cross-off, and even some glassy moments, but the swell just isn’t there to make anything of it. The best you’ll get is a clean surface on August 20th afternoon, August 21st, or August 22nd, but with a wave that’s barely a ripple, it’s not worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t appear until Wednesday, September 2nd. The morning shows a bit of life: a 2 ft ESE swell with a period of 11 seconds, combined energy of 88 (still weak, but slightly better). The wind is cross-off from the NNW, so the surface will be clean. The wave comment calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and honestly, that’s the best we’ve got. The swell direction (ESE) is a bit off from the optimum SE for The Cove, so don’t expect peak shape, but it’s rideable. The afternoon on the 2nd pushes combined energy up to 116 (moderate) with a 2 ft ESE swell, 10-second period, and light cross-shore wind. Still not a standout, but it’s the most promising day in the entire forecast.

By Thursday, September 3rd, the wind swings around to a fresh SE breeze, lumping things up, and the energy drops back into the 50s. It’s back to poor conditions.

As for the water temp, when we get that first surfable window on September 2nd, the water is sitting at 75°F, which is about average for the time of year – the anomaly is just 1°F, nothing unusual.

The Cove is a point break, fairly consistent, and fairly exposed to the swell, but the crowds are often around. With this kind of lacklustre outlook, it’ll probably be quieter than usual. The period is mostly short to moderate, so no worries about it being too straight for the point.

The only real standout in the whole 16 days? The morning of Wednesday, September 2nd. It’s not big, it’s not powerful, but it’s the only time the conditions line up enough to make it worth a look. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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