
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, S swell with 297 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cove Cape May this week:
The surf forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove Cape May in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's get to it.
Honestly, folks, it's looking pretty flat and grim in the Cape May region for the next couple of weeks. We've got a lot of small, weak energy and the wind gods are just not playing ball for the most part. The water is sitting at 75°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so that's about the only thing that's not a headache.
The first real chance to even think about a paddle is on Thursday, July 30th, but even then, it's a struggle. The Cove Cape May is your only option. We're looking at a tiny 2ft SSE swell, with a period of 9 seconds, giving us a combined wave energy of only 79. That's weak. The wind is offshore from the North at 9 mph, which is a positive, and conditions are clean. But with only 2ft on offer, you're going to be scratching around for anything rideable. It's surfable, but only just.
Then we get a glassy morning on Saturday, August 1st, but the swell has dropped to a pathetic 1ft. Not worth the wetsuit.
The next glimmer comes on Monday, August 3rd. The swell is up to a tiny 2ft from the SSE, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is still weak at 69. The wind is glassy from the NNE at 3 mph, so the surface will be like a mirror, but there's just no power behind it. It's the same story: surfable but very ordinary.
The rest of the run is a total write-off. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the swell never gets above 2ft for the rest of the 16-day window. The energy levels are all in the double digits, which is as weak as it gets. From Thursday, August 7th, through to Monday, August 10th, the wind straightens out, but the swell is just a ghost of a wave at 0.7ft to 1ft. It's a long, flat, frustrating stretch.
There's nothing here that's a standout. If you're absolutely desperate for a paddle, that Thursday morning, July 30th, is your best bet for the cleanest, most surfable, but still tiny, waves. The rest of the time, leave the board at home.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 19°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Sun morning, fresh winds from the SE by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 20 | 51 | 16 | 42 | 42 | 81 | 70 | 36 | 46 | 67 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 13 | 12 | 12 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 6:57PM1.56m | 7:21AM1.13m | 7:39PM1.62m | 8:03AM1.18m | 8:19PM1.65m | 8:43AM1.23m | 8:57PM1.67m | 9:20AM1.27m | 9:32PM1.66m | 9:56AM1.31m | 10:07PM1.64m | 10:32AM1.36m | 10:42PM1.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:11PM0.25m | 1:16AM0.21m | 12:55PM0.21m | 1:57AM0.16m | 1:37PM0.18m | 2:34AM0.12m | 2:17PM0.15m | 3:09AM0.09m | 2:56PM0.14m | 3:43AM0.07m | 3:36PM0.14m | 4:16AM0.06m | 4:16PM0.15m | 4:50AM0.05m | |||||||
5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
— | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | — | 14 | 8 | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 21 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | E 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 6 | SE 8 | E 6 | ESE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
29 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 20 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 81 | 70 | 36 | 46 | 67 | 23 | 16 | 26 | 30 | 13 | 12 | 12 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | SE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 |
12 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 32 | 29 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 6 | — | E 9 | ENE 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | — | SW 3 | — | SSE 2 | SSE 8 | SSE 4 | SE 8 | S 5 | W 3 | W 3 | W 4 | NW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | — | SW 2 | — | — | SSE 3 |
28 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 51 | 7 | 42 | 42 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 180 | 380 | 36 | 372 | 1022 | 30 | 372 | 109 | 251 | 5 | 30 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 36 | 81 | 399 | 125 |
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.










