The Cove Cape May Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – for the next two weeks, Cape May is in a deep, flat spell. There’s no real swell on the table, and the conditions are mostly a write-off. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and messy wind. This is a classic summer lull for the Jersey shore, and it’s just not happening for paddle surfing.

Let’s break it down. The only spot we’ve got to look at is The Cove Cape May. It’s a point break that’s fairly consistent, but it’s not going to save us here. The water is sitting at 76°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least the water's nice.

From Sunday the 19th right through to the end of the month, every single session is rated as poor. We start with a tiny 2ft south swell on Sunday morning with a cross-off wind, but the combined energy is a measly 37 (weak). That afternoon and all of Monday are even smaller, with 2ft and 1.0ft waves. Tuesday the 21st tries to lift a bit with a 3ft south-east swell, but it’s a 4-second period, cross-on wind, and the energy is only 35. That’s not surf, that’s a messy bump.

There’s a spike in combined energy on Wednesday morning the 22nd, hitting 190 (moderate) with a 4ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is cross-on and the conditions are still poor. The swell is too short and wonky to make anything of it. The pattern continues: tiny swells, bad wind, and zero quality. We get a glimmer on Friday the 24th morning with a 2ft SE swell, clean with a light north wind, but the score is still a 1 out of 10 for “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the best we’ll see, and it’s still not worth a paddle.

The second week is a total washout. Saturday the 26th through to Monday the 3rd of August shows nothing but tiny, weak waves from the south and southeast, mostly under 2ft, with onshore or cross-shore winds. The energy is in the teens and twenties. On Wednesday the 29th of July, we see a 3ft south swell with a 6-second period, but it’s cross-on and lumpy. That’s the closest we get to any size, but it’s junk.

To be honest, the whole setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days with a bit of wind and a messy sea. For a surfer, there’s nothing to get excited about. The good news is that this spot is fairly consistent, so it tends not to stay this poor for long – forecasts can change. But for now, the board stays on the car.

Rusty.

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