The Cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
22Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 3 ft swell at 7 s
Tue 3 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- NNE 12 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 86kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 132kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 85kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 s
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- W 10 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 27, too small
- Tue 38, too small
- Wed 413, too small
- Thu 527, too small
- Fri 623, too small
- Sat 721, too small
- Sun 820, too small
- Mon 916, too small
- Tue 109, too small
- Wed 115, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 19 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Sep1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 7, too small | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 14 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 8, too small | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 12 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 13, too small | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | wind from the north-east, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 27, too small | 3 ft6 s5 ft at break (est.) | 86kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 23, too small | 4 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 132kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 21, too small | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 85kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 20, too small | 3 ft8 s4 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft8 s3 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | offshorewind from the west, 10 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 13 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 18°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:43 +0.5 mLow 06:58 −0.6 mHigh 13:15 +0.8 mLow 19:49 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:52 +0.6 mLow 08:08 −0.6 mHigh 14:19 +0.7 mLow 20:46 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:55 +0.7 mLow 09:13 −0.6 mHigh 15:17 +0.7 mLow 21:39 −0.7 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Sep
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
The Cove on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Sand Stone 0.3 km away
- Fort Fisher 3.8 km away
- Shit Pipe 4.9 km away
- Beauregard 6.5 km away
- Carolina Beach 7.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Cove
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (110°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (290°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 12°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 28°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Kure Beach, 3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,020–US$1,830 each
about US$1,020–US$1,830 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to ILM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$161–US$335 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$67–US$114 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,020–US$1,830 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 31 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Kure Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Carolina Beach on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 62 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 5h
About 5h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ILM, direct, then 50 min by road
Flights ORD → ILM on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.