The Cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
52Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 8 s
Tue 3 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- NE 12 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 56kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 89kJ
- Wind
- SSE 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 130kJ
- Wind
- SSW 12 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 s
- Energy
- 127kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 48kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 211, too small
- Tue 323, poor
- Wed 443, poor
- Thu 563, good
- Fri 653, fair
- Sat 767, good
- Sun 847, fair
- Mon 928, too small
- Tue 1032, 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
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
The Cove does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 11, too small | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 16 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 23, poor | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the north-east, 12 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 43, poor | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 56kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 63, good | 3 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 89kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 53, fair | 4 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 130kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 67, good | 3 ft8 s5 ft at break (est.) | 127kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 47, fair | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 10 knots, offshore | 19°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 beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
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
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 · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.