
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, ESE swell with 57 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cove this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 1.1m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks at The Cove are looking pretty bleak. We’ve got a run of tiny, weak swell and tricky winds for the foreseeable future, so if you’re after quality waves, you might want to find something else to do for a while.
Right from the start—Saturday the 1st—it’s messy. There’s a chance of thunderstorms and the swell is barely a ripple, around 0.3ft to 0.7ft, with short-period slop and light to moderate cross-offshore breezes. It’s clean-ish early, but there’s nothing to ride.
Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd stay poor. We get a touch more size—2ft to 2ft—but the period drops to 4 seconds, which is just wind chop. The wind swings cross and cross-onshore, so it’s lumpy and uninviting. The energy is weak, with the combined swell energy only reaching figures like 24 and 36—nothing worth paddling out for.
Tuesday the 4th is more of the same, with 0.7ft to 2ft of short-period junk, light cross-onshore winds, and weak energy readings of 16 and 20. Then Wednesday the 5th brings a slight bump in size, up to 3ft, but the period stays down at 5 seconds, and we get onshore ESE winds at 12 to 16 mph. That’s choppy, blown-out slop. Not good.
Thursday the 6th through Sunday the 9th don’t offer any relief either. The swell stays small, ranging from 1.0ft to 3ft, but with periods around 5 to 7 seconds and onshore or cross-onshore winds, it’s just a mess. The energy readings are low, sitting in the 15 to 42 range. There’s nothing clean, nothing with any push.
The second week—from Monday the 10th through to Sunday the 16th—isn’t any better. We see the same pattern: tiny swell, mostly 0.7ft to 3ft, short periods of 4 to 5 seconds, and a persistent cross-onshore or onshore wind. A couple of mornings early in the week (the 10th and 11th) have light breezes, but the swell is so weak it doesn’t matter. The energy stays weak, with readings in the 7 to 40 range.
There is no standout period here. No big groundswell, no clean wind window, no decent break offering quality. The Cove is a fairly consistent spot usually, but this 16-day stretch is a complete write-off. I’d say save your energy, don’t bother with the board, and maybe go for a swim instead.
If you’re dead set on getting wet, the beach and reef setup with this onshore wind and weak swell might be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers. But for now, it’s a flat, blown-out outlook.
Stay patient. It won’t stay this poor for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 68mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 32°C on Sat afternoon, min 22°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 56mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | NE 9 | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ENE 8 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 4 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 46 | 50 | 53 | 37 | 22 | 24 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:20PM0.88m | 10:36AM0.80m | 10:57PM0.87m | 11:20AM0.82m | 11:34PM0.84m | 12:05PM0.84m | 00:15AM0.82m | 12:54PM0.86m | 00:59AM0.80m | 1:48PM0.87m | 1:51AM0.78m | 2:49PM0.89m | 2:51AM0.77m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:24AM0.05m | 4:34PM0.04m | 5:02AM0.03m | 5:19PM0.07m | 5:43AM0.01m | 6:09PM0.10m | 6:30AM-0.01m | 7:05PM0.12m | 7:21AM-0.02m | 8:05PM0.14m | 8:17AM-0.03m | 9:07PM0.15m | |||||||
— | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | |
8:07 | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | |
mm | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 44 | — | 4 | 37 | — | 6 | 7 | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 |
Feels °C | 35 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 4 | ESE 8 | S 4 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 |
9 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 5 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | E 8 | NE 8 | ESE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | S 4 | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | N 9 | NE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | NE 9 |
3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | NE 9 | — | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 7 |
1 | 3 | — | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 3 | SSW 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | S 4 | S 4 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 4 |
— | — | 4 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 46 | 50 | 53 | 37 | 22 | 24 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1218 | 957 | 368 | 1218 | 957 | 130 | 136 | 351 | 137 | 351 | 136 | 130 | 86 | 404 | 1121 | 376 | 836 | 1727 | 1218 |
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.











