Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, NE swell with 335 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 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you about The Cove. The outlook for the next two weeks is a tough one, to be honest. We've got a long, dry spell of junk conditions before anything even starts to look passable.
Right out of the gate for the first surf recommendation on Friday the 11th through to at least Thursday the 19th, it’s a write-off. The waves are tiny, never getting over 1 ft, with a short, weak period. The wind is a constant cross-shore or cross-onshore mess, just chopping everything up. The water is a warm 87°F, which is a touch warmer than normal, but that’s about the only positive if you’re just looking for a swim. There's barely any energy in the water, with the combined swell energy struggling into double digits.
Mornings on the 20th (Sunday) offer a slight flicker of hope. We get a brief window of light offshore wind from the southwest, with clean conditions on the surface. But the swell is still tiny at 1 ft and short period. It’s barely rideable, but if you’re desperate for any kind of glide, that’s your best bet all week.
Then, on Wednesday the 16th, things get a bit more interesting but not necessarily for paddle surfing. The swell jumps up to 5 ft to 6 ft from the NNE, and the energy ramps up significantly into the low to mid 200s (combined energy of 182 to 307). However, the wind is howling onshore at 15-19 mph, making it lumpy and messy. With that setup, The Cove looks more interesting for kite surfing than for a clean paddle session.
The period around the 22nd and 23rd of September sees a bit more size again, with swell around 3 ft to 4 ft from the NNE, and energy hitting the 100 to 200 mark. But again, the wind is all wrong – directly onshore or a stiff cross-onshore breeze up to 25 mph. It’s going to be choppy and tough.
The standout, and it’s a distant one, comes on Saturday the 26th of September afternoon. The swell builds to 4 ft from the NE with a really long period of 12 seconds, and the energy jumps way up to 379. That's a proper groundswell with a lot of push. But here’s the caveat: the wind is still a moderate cross-shore from the south at 16 mph, and The Cove is a beach and reef setup. A period that long can be tricky; it might break too straight and be hard to manage in the cross-chop. It’s still going to be messy, but it’s the only glimpse of real power in the whole forecast. The rest is just a flat, choppy blur.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 28°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Mon afternoon, min 27°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Mon morning, fresh winds from the NE by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | NE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ESE 3 | ENE 9 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 14 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 24 | 181 | 306 | 335 | 268 | 250 | 167 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:43AM1.06m | 9:05PM1.04m | 9:30AM1.07m | 9:46PM1.00m | 10:15AM1.06m | 10:27PM0.95m | 10:59AM1.04m | 11:07PM0.90m | 11:43AM1.00m | 11:48PM0.85m | 12:29PM0.95m | 00:32AM0.81m | 1:19PM0.91m | 1:21AM0.78m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:52PM0.01m | 3:14AM0.01m | 3:37PM0.05m | 3:54AM0.02m | 4:22PM0.10m | 4:34AM0.06m | 5:07PM0.17m | 5:16AM0.10m | 5:55PM0.23m | 6:02AM0.16m | 6:47PM0.29m | 6:53AM0.20m | 7:42PM0.33m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | |  | | | | |
 | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | — | 2 | 5 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 6 | 1 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | ENE 8 | E 4 | SSE 4 | ENE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 14 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 335 | 268 | 250 | 167 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 9 | ESE 8 | S 4 | ESE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ESE 8 | ENE 9 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ENE 9 | E 8 | — | — | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 11 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 9 | ESE 8 | S 4 | — | — | ESE 3 | ESE 8 | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 |
| kJ | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 3 | SE 4 | E 4 | — | — | SE 4 | SE 4 | — | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | ENE 3 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | NNE 8 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 |
| kJ | 9 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 181 | 306 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 18 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 416 | 1775 | 297 | 351 | 1594 | 262 | 136 | 1107 | 136 | 136 | 889 | 351 | 741 | 741 | 816 | 1383 | 741 | 353 | 931 | 288 | 741 |
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.
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