
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 22 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, NE swell with 300 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 22 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cove this week:
The surf forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 22) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 21) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 22nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 22nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a good look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for The Cove. I gotta be straight with you – this is going to be a tough watch. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for any decent surf. There's not a single session that gets a thumbs up from me, so we're looking at a blank period from start to finish. It doesn't happen often around here, but when it does, you just have to accept it and know the forecasts can flip.
Right off the bat, Wednesday the 16th kicks off with a messy combo of risk t-storms and onshore wind. We've got a tiny 2.3ft NE swell with a short 4-second period – that's just wind slop, not surf. The combined energy is a weak 29, and with that onshore breeze it's looking like a day to stay on dry land. That afternoon, things actually get a touch bigger to 3.9ft but the wind swings cross-onshore at 12 mph, so it's just a choppy 147 energy mess.
Thursday the 17th sees the swell bump up a bit more to 5.2ft, but again, it's a short-period NE windswell. Cross-onshore winds at 16 mph are going to shred any chance of a wave face. That's a moderate 306 energy but all onshore chop. Not worth the paddle out.
We limp into the end of the week and into the weekend with swell dropping off and the wind not playing ball. Friday the 18th is a morning of onshore wind with only 3.6ft, and it's downhill from there. Saturday and Sunday the 19th and 20th are tiny, with swells barely making it to 2.3ft, and the energy sinks to a pathetic 27. There's a glassy moment early on Monday the 21st, but with only a 1.0ft bump from the NE, there's absolutely nothing to ride.
Through the rest of the week, we see some glassy mornings on Tuesday the 22nd and Thursday the 24th, but the swell is so small – 1.6ft at best – that it's more of a lake paddle. The water temp is sitting at a toasty 87.3°F, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, but that's about the only highlight. Friday the 25th finally gets a light offshore from the W, but again, we're looking at a tiny 1.3ft swell.
The last few days of the period, from the 27th of September into October, bring in a stormy pattern. Sunday the 27th sees a proper pulse of messy swell at 5.9ft, but with a terrible 6-second period and a strong 25 mph cross-wind, that's a 259 energy of pure chaos. That is strictly for the kite surfers, not for a paddle surfer. It just stays windy and choppy right through to the end of the outlook on October 1st, where we finally see a clean offshore wind but no swell to go with it. A real heartbreaker.
So to sum it up: put the board away, sharpen your fins, and wait for the next system. There's simply no surf to be had here.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 27°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sat afternoon, min 28°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 4 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | E 5 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 146 | 247 | 300 | 223 | 155 | 128 | 91 | 62 | 47 | 29 | 27 | 19 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 20 | 53 | 30 | 73 | 44 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 12:29PM0.95m | 00:32AM0.81m | 1:19PM0.91m | 1:21AM0.78m | 2:14PM0.88m | 2:16AM0.76m | 3:15PM0.87m | 3:19AM0.76m | 4:16PM0.87m | 4:22AM0.78m | 5:10PM0.90m | 5:18AM0.82m | 5:56PM0.93m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:47PM0.29m | 6:53AM0.20m | 7:42PM0.33m | 7:48AM0.23m | 8:38PM0.35m | 8:45AM0.25m | 9:33PM0.35m | 9:41AM0.25m | 10:27PM0.34m | 10:35AM0.23m | 11:16PM0.31m | 11:27AM0.21m | 00:02AM0.27m | ||||||||
7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | |
— | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:16 | — | |
mm | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 8 | 4 | — | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | — | 7 | 1 | — | 4 | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 31 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | E 8 | — | E 13 | ESE 5 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SE 5 | SE 5 | NE 8 | ENE 5 | ESE 4 | NNE 6 |
8 | 1 | — | 3 | 8 | 155 | 128 | 91 | 62 | 47 | 29 | 27 | 19 | 18 | 12 | 19 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 2 | 44 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | — | E 13 | E 13 | ESE 4 | E 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | SSE 4 | NE 8 | E 7 | ESE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 7 | NNE 8 | — | NE 8 | E 8 | NE 8 |
1 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | — | 30 | 1 | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 13 | — | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 7 | E 7 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 8 | — | NE 8 | E 8 | — | ESE 5 | E 8 | SE 4 |
— | — | — | — | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | — | — | — | SE 3 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | — | SE 4 | SE 4 | — | ENE 7 | E 5 | — | NE 8 | — |
20 | 146 | 247 | 300 | 223 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | — | 4 | 9 | — | 20 | 53 | — | 73 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1034 | 1598 | 820 | 326 | 326 | 1089 | 353 | 1038 | 1072 | 834 | 1246 | 941 | 375 | 1598 | 136 | 351 | 1727 | 227 | 3 | 375 | 393 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Florida | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Cove Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Cove 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 can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Cove 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) 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 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 is 0 km (0 miles) from West Palm Beach. If you plan a vacation in South Florida, look for hotels and other accommodation in West Palm Beach. West Palm Beach has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










