I'm living in Sandy Hook, NJ this summer, in Fort Hancock for an internship. I started surfing the cove in the gateway national park, but it's a little different from what I expected. The jetty doesn't go out far enough and the waves break really close to the beach. I haven't seen the spot on a decent swell yet, I was wondering if anyone could give me a little insight. Does it break farther out with a good swell and the right wind? It looks like it could set up for a really good long right. Thanks.
cove Yes i have sseen it during a hurricane and it was breaking so far out any type of swell in the water the cove will break
Looks like you'll get to find out thursday - friday morning...3-4 foot SE swell with SW winds and incoming low tide in the a.m. if it doesn't break with that setup, it must be pretty fickle.
cove I'm going on my 8th summer guarding out there, and the Cove does not break on any type of south swell because it faces more northeast. Don't look for any waves there with a south swell, passes right by. It's also filled in because of all the beach replenishment. When a big swell comes, it moves a lot of the sand out and the wave breaks better. Just be patient. It doesn't get good all that often. Take care.
This is from a reply to another post but thought it was relevant The cove is the 6th point from the bottom back in the 70's / 80's . Here is the same piece of beach today No wonder the cove looks like crap and breaks so close to the sand. It's no longer a cove.
Yeah I know sorry about that. I grew up surfing the old cove but moved away after the sand was pumped in. My friends still go there but I haven't been in a long, long time. I think they should change the name to "the bump" which is what it really is now.
Those jetties were great! All of them bottom to top. I learned to surf on 4th jetty from the bottom and spent most of my time there. As I got older and felt braver I would surf first jetty the most when there was any size, and second jetty on small summer days. The 3rd jetty up broke right into the seawall but it could be epic on the right swell and exciting trying not to get smashed into the rocks. Once during a storm I got caught in there and a wave lifted me up and threw me onto the ledge of a rock as I scrambled up the 20 foot high wall 5th jetty up was sorta a secret spot that no one checked but it could get really good. The Cove was always crowded (relatively speaking) during a good swell but you could catch it on the right day empty. Not being heavily traveled, this is the best place that I have every surfed or seen before or since. It is a real shame it is not there anymore. Here are 2 pictures of first jetty, I surfed both of these days.
Seriously that 70's / 80's aerial shot is outstanding, I've never seen a Jersey setup like that. Songs should be sung in its honor, possibly a kook sacrifice to ensure its return. Lone tear, face streaming..... Seriously. SICK.
I agree, at the time I didn't know how good I had it. We were always looking south to Long Branch etc. You never appreciate what is right in your backyard until it is gone .
