Cowells cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
56Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 7 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft15 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,117kJ
- Wind
- W 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tue 3 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 882kJ
- Wind
- WSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 854kJ
- Wind
- E 1 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 165kJ
- Wind
- W 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 74 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,302kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,077kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 542kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 120, too small
- Mon 236, too small
- Tue 341, poor
- Wed 461, good
- Thu 516, too small
- Fri 674, good
- Sat 769, good
- Sun 847, fair
- Mon 970, good
- Tue 1027, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Cowells cove does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft14 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 208kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 18°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 36, too small | 5 ft15 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,117kJ | wind from the west, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 41, poor | 6 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 882kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 61, good | 7 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 854kJ | wind from the east, 1 knot | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 16, too small | 4 ft8 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 165kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 74, good | 7 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,302kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 69, good | 7 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,077kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 47, fair | 6 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 542kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 70, good | 7 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,000kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 27, poor | 6 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 664kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 7 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 04:34 +0.4 mLow 09:07 +0.0 mHigh 14:47 +0.7 mLow 22:17 −1.0 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:25 +0.5 mLow 10:43 −0.1 mHigh 16:15 +0.5 mLow 23:15 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:08 +0.6 mLow 12:00 −0.3 mHigh 17:40 +0.5 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, its town, photos
Cowells cove on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Cowells cove
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More surf near here
5 places
- Steamer Lane 0.7 km away
- The Wedge 0.8 km away
- The Rivermouth 1.1 km away
- Mitchell's Cove 1.5 km away
- Harbor mouth 2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Cowells cove
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (158°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (338°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 62). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Santa Cruz, 1.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 13 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 14°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$1,200–US$2,170 each
about US$1,200–US$2,170 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 SJC, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$536 |
| 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$1,200–US$2,170 |
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
3 min by car · 84 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Santa Cruz its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Live Oak on Booking.com
8 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Capitola on Booking.com
12 min by car · 23 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 7h 25m
About 7h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SJC, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → SJC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.