The Cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
1Poor out of 100 for your dates
6 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- WSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft4 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- N 11 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too small
- Tue 31, too small
- Wed 41, too small
- Thu 51, too small
- Fri 60, too small
- Sat 71, too small
- Sun 81, too small
- Mon 91, too small
- Tue 102, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 24 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
The Cove does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north, 6 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 20°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 04:11 +0.3 mLow 12:06 −0.3 mHigh 19:20 +0.1 mLow 23:54 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:07 +0.3 mLow 13:03 −0.2 mHigh 19:41 +0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 01:16 −0.1 mHigh 07:40 +0.3 mLow 13:49 −0.1 mHigh 20:03 +0.2 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.
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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
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
4 places
- Bradenton- twin piers 2.5 km away
- Holmes beach pier 6.9 km away
- Anna Maria Island 9.8 km away
- Anna Maria Island - Beach Streets 11.7 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 (81°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (261°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 18°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 31°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Bradenton Beach, 3.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. 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$1,130–US$2,020 each
about US$1,130–US$2,020 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 TPA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$181–US$382 |
| 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$1,130–US$2,020 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 83 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Bradenton Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Holmes Beach on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 101 places to stay
- Beds in Anna Maria island on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 99 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 50m
About 5h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → TPA, direct, then 1h 20m by road
Flights MDW → TPA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.