Church Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Church Cove. It’s a pretty little spot, fairly exposed to the south-west, but don’t get your hopes up too high just yet – this 16-day window is a real mixed bag, with a lot of nothing and only a couple of brief moments that might get you wet. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.

Right now and for the first few days, it’s pretty grim. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd of August are a write-off – tiny, messy, weak energy (only 40 to 65), and wind all over the shop. Monday the 3rd morning brings a glimmer of hope: a glassy 3ft swell from the WSW, period a short 8 seconds, and the combined energy nudges into the low moderate range (101). It’s surfable, but very ordinary – nothing to get excited about for most.

Then the wind turns ugly. From Tuesday the 4th right through to Friday the 7th, it’s mostly onshore or cross-onshore, with the swell jumping up. The energy picks up (150 to 359), but it’s all short-period chop, blown out, and just looks like a mess. That 6ft Wednesday afternoon (5th of August) might sound okay, but with fresh onshore wind and a 7-second period, it’s lumpy, messy, and really more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session. Not for beginners, but even for the experienced, it’s poor.

Saturday the 8th is flat and glassy, but with a tiny 2ft swell – not enough to push you around.

Finally, a proper standout. Sunday the 9th of August afternoon looks like the best on offer in this whole outlook. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze and a 3ft WNW swell (energy 105), so it’s rideable. But the arvo… it’s glassy. Dead calm. And that 4ft WNW swell has an 8-second period, pushing the combined energy right up to 379 – moderate-strong. That’s the session. Clean, glassy conditions, a decent little waist-to-chest high set, and the WSW optimum direction matches up nicely. Crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few mates out, but it’s worth it. This is your call.

Monday the 10th morning is clean again, but the swell drops right back to 2ft, so it’s a flop.

Tuesday the 11th morning has a 5ft W swell with a longer 10-second period, energy hitting 396 (moderate-strong), but the wind is onshore, and the report calls it marginal. Could be a sneaky one for a local who knows the bank, but I’d be cautious.

From Wednesday the 12th right through to Sunday the 16th of August, it’s all downhill – onshore winds, dropping swell, and energy fading fast (down to 15 by the 14th). The last few days are just a strong breeze and messy cross-chop. No recommendations in that second week.

So here’s the bottom line: if you’re keen, make the call for Sunday the 9th of August afternoon at Church Cove. That’s the one. The rest is mostly a write-off, with a couple of borderline mornings that might surprise if you’re desperate and the wind gods play nice.

Rusty.

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