The Cove, Cape May
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
37Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 8 s, 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tue 3 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- SSE 2 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 84kJ
- Wind
- S 11 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 124kJ
- Wind
- W 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 82kJ
- Wind
- NW 9 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sun 8 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 41kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 151, fair
- Mon 232, too small
- Tue 316, too small
- Wed 428, too small
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 765, good
- Sun 857, fair
- Mon 924, too small
- Tue 1014, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–7 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Sep–Oct1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 51, fair | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 32, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 16, too small | 1 ft7 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 84kJ | wind from the south, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 124kJ | wind from the west, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 65, good | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 82kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 9 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 57, fair | 2 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 14, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | wind from the south, 10 knots | 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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 00:07 +0.5 mLow 06:05 −0.6 mHigh 12:38 +0.8 mLow 19:07 −0.6 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 01:18 +0.5 mLow 07:16 −0.6 mHigh 13:47 +0.8 mLow 20:10 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:27 +0.6 mLow 08:28 −0.6 mHigh 14:54 +0.8 mLow 21:10 −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 Sep–Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, 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
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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, its town, photos
The Cove, Cape May 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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Photos of The Cove, Cape May
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More surf near here
5 places
- Broadway beach 0.3 km away
- Stockon Beach 1.5 km away
- Sunset Beach 3.7 km away
- Trestles 6.4 km away
- Diamond Beach 7.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Cove, Cape May
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (167°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (347°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.5 km out (1 in 152). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 4°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 24°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually September and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Cape May, 1.3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,100–US$1,950 each
about US$1,100–US$1,950 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 MDW to PHL, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$154–US$315 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,100–US$1,950 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
2 min by car · 164 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Cape May its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Wildwood Crest on Booking.com
18 min by car · 209 places to stay
- Beds in Villas on Booking.com
20 min by car · 11 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 6h
About 6h door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → PHL, direct, then 2h 10m by road
Flights MDW → PHL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.