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Poverty Beach 29.4
#5361 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇺🇸 United States of America · New Jersey · near Dover
Wind is the enemy here, peaks in September, thick rubber.
Beginner friendlyBeginner
Surf score29.4 /100
Surfable days51% of the year
Clean days1% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell2% period 11 s+
Typical size0.6 m 2.0 ft median
Water14°C a 4/3 with boots
Best time to surf Poverty Beach
The best time to surf Poverty Beach is March, May, September. It rarely works. In September the water sits around 22°C, so pack a rash vest or 2 mm, and the typical wave is 0.6 m. The nearest airport is PHL (108 km) and the nearest town is Dover (56 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 0% | 0.7 m | 3°C | 6/5 |
| Feb | 57% | 0% | 0.7 m | 1°C | 6/5 |
| Mar | 71% | 1% | 0.8 m | 5°C | 6/5 |
| Apr | 65% | 0% | 0.7 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| May | 45% | 2% | 0.6 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 27% | 0% | 0.5 m | 21°C | 2mm |
| Jul | 17% | 0% | 0.4 m | 25°C | vest |
| Aug | 18% | 0% | 0.4 m | 25°C | vest |
| Sep | 53% | 5% | 0.6 m | 22°C | vest |
| Oct | 63% | 1% | 0.7 m | 19°C | 3/2 |
| Nov | 67% | 0% | 0.8 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Dec | 64% | 0% | 0.7 m | 6°C | 6/5 |
Why 29.4
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
14.5
Clean days 24%
0.0
Groundswell 12%
0.0
Season spread 10%
6.4
Wave size 8%
0.5
Water comfort 10%
0.6
Access 10%
6.8
The detail
Faces 205° with 53% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 58% of days. Mean peak period 6.9 s. Days over 3 m: 0%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 72%. Months that work: 8 of 12. Coordinates 38.932, -74.944 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
The Cove, Cape May🇺🇸 United States of America · score 29.5Trestles🇺🇸 United States of America · score 32.4Diamond Beach🇺🇸 United States of America · score 30.1North Wildwood🇺🇸 United States of America · score 32.7
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