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The Cove, Cape May 29.5
#5356 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 score29.5 /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 The Cove, Cape May
The best time to surf The Cove, Cape May 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 (109 km) and the nearest town is Dover (57 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 1% | 0.8 m | 3°C | 6/5 |
| Feb | 58% | 0% | 0.7 m | 1°C | 6/5 |
| Mar | 70% | 2% | 0.8 m | 5°C | 6/5 |
| Apr | 64% | 0% | 0.7 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| May | 44% | 2% | 0.6 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 28% | 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 | 64% | 1% | 0.7 m | 19°C | 3/2 |
| Nov | 67% | 0% | 0.8 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Dec | 64% | 1% | 0.7 m | 6°C | 6/5 |
Why 29.5
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%
0.1
Groundswell 12%
0.0
Season spread 10%
6.4
Wave size 8%
0.5
Water comfort 10%
0.6
Access 10%
6.7
The detail
Faces 180° with 50% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 62% of days. Mean peak period 6.9 s. Days over 3 m: 0%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 73%. Months that work: 8 of 12. Coordinates 38.929, -74.935 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Poverty Beach🇺🇸 United States of America · score 29.4Trestles🇺🇸 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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