Surf Forecasts:
The Cove Cape May surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period, S swell with 408 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s 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 23) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period. 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 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove Cape May over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you—this one is a tough stretch for the Cape. The next 16 days are looking pretty flat and uninspiring overall, with a lot of onshore wind and small, weak surf. We're in for a long run of quiet days, so don't get your hopes up for anything epic.
The water is sitting at 76°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, if you're wondering about the wetsuit.
The first real sniff of anything surfable comes on Thursday, July 23rd. The Cove Cape May might see a small pulse of swell from the SSE pushing 3 ft. The wind swings offshore from the NNE, which is a major positive – it'll be clean. The energy is still weak (76), but it's the best on offer in the first week. If you're desperate for a paddle, that's your window. It's not going to be world-class, but it's rideable.
From there, it's back to the doldrums for most of the next week. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross-on, but the swell is tiny, barely breaking 2 ft. The energy is pitiful, with readings between 18 and 56. It's a long stretch of flat, clean but gutless conditions.
The next time things look half-decent is around Wednesday, July 29th. The wind is forecast to go offshore again from the NNE, and the SSE swell is a little more organised with a 9-second period. The energy picks up a bit (104), but the wave height is still only 3 ft. It's a small, clean day for the loggers, but nothing to get excited about. This is the only other window in the whole run worth mentioning.
Honestly, this is a tough outlook. There's no standout swell, no big groundswell to chase. The energy is weak the whole way through, and the wind is rarely your friend. For experienced surfers, it's a total write-off. For beginners, the small, clean windows on the 23rd and 29th are about as safe as it gets, but don't expect much push. The setup looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle on most of those windy afternoons.
That's the long and short of it. The forecasts can change, but for now, it's a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 48mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Mon morning, strong winds from the SSW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | S 6 | SSE 4 | S 5 | S 6 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 11 | 22 | 24 | 54 | 137 | 210 | 408 | 297 | 199 | 76 | 42 | 20 | 12 | 11 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 40 | 29 | 28 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 1:48PM1.44m | 1:54AM1.30m | 2:42PM1.42m | 2:50AM1.18m | 3:37PM1.42m | 3:49AM1.10m | 4:31PM1.43m | 4:49AM1.06m | 5:23PM1.47m | 5:45AM1.07m | 6:12PM1.51m | 6:35AM1.09m | 6:57PM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:45PM0.23m | 8:02AM0.16m | 8:46PM0.29m | 8:52AM0.23m | 9:48PM0.32m | 9:42AM0.27m | 10:47PM0.32m | 10:34AM0.29m | 11:42PM0.29m | 11:24AM0.28m | 00:32AM0.25m | 12:11PM0.25m | 1:16AM0.21m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — |
 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:16 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 9 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 29 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
Feels °C | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 20 | 26 | 30 | 25 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | S 6 | SE 12 | — | E 12 | — | S 8 | — | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ENE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 11 | 22 | 6 | — | 3 | — | 408 | — | 199 | 76 | 42 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 16 | 40 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | — | SE 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | E 5 |
| kJ | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | 28 | 9 | 8 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | SE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 |
| kJ | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 7 | SSE 4 | S 5 | S 6 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 9 | NW 2 | NNE 4 | E 5 | ENE 5 | E 4 | E 6 | E 6 | E 4 | E 5 | — | NE 5 | — | SW 3 |
| kJ | — | 17 | 24 | 54 | 137 | 210 | 185 | 297 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 17 | 50 | 31 | 22 | 23 | — | 18 | — | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 236 | 1510 | 564 | 1170 | 1170 | 1041 | 185 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 36 | 214 | 497 | 234 | 396 | 372 | 7 | 0 | 247 | 134 |
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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