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The Cove, Cape May, United States

Stay in Cape May: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Cape May

All 12 on Cape May's map

Watch this spot We email you when The Cove, Cape May is worth the trip.

Cape May Beach Ave from the sea 3
Cape May, the nearest town, 1 km away. Photo: Smallbones, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

About The Cove, Cape May

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details 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 19°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 6 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to PHL, direct.

    See flights MDW → PHL · Skyscanner from about £130 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 10 from the airport to The Cove, Cape May.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Cape MayAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Cape May · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Cape May · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Cove, Cape May on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct484 ft6 smushy120kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct246 ft7 smushy307kJ16°C
Tue 20Oct465 ft8 smushy298kJ18°C
Wed 21Oct465 ft8 smushy312kJ15°C
Thu 22Oct554 ft8 smushy143kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct293 ft6 smushy44kJ13°C
Sat 24Oct162 ft4 smushy15kJ13°C
Sun 25Oct262 ft5 smushy19kJ13°C
Mon 26Oct101 ft5 smushy5kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct242 ft8 smushy39kJ16°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to PHL, then 2h 10 by road. About 6h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Stockon Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Stockon Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Trestles

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Trestles

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to PHL, then 2h 10 by road. About 6h door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Cape May each day: Broadway beach, Stockon Beach, Sunset Beach, The Cove, Cape May, Trestles.

The trip from Cape May, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £925–£1,650 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to PHL, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£130–£270
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£925–£1,650

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Cape May

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.