Church Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee, let’s have a look at this 16-day stretch for Church Cove. Honestly, I’ve got to call it as it is: there’s no good surf on the cards for the whole window. None. That’s a full 16-day gap of nothing worth paddling out for. The waves are there, sure, but the conditions are just plain ugly – onshore winds, messy, blown-out, and the swell is mostly short-period junk that won’t line up. Not a single standout to get excited about. It’s a grim run, but for this spot it’s not that unusual when the swell window isn’t cooperating. The water temp is 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for late August, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re sitting on the beach watching the whitecaps.

The first few days, from August 25th right through the end of the month, are a write-off. You’ve got cross-off winds and a tiny 2ft to 5ft swell, but the wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions” with a score of 0 out of 10. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate, around 50 to 242, but it’s just not coming together. By the 29th and 30th, those southwesterly winds hit 22 to 31 mph, and the swell jumps to 8ft to 10ft, but it’s all onshore and blown to bits – that’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. Combined energy hits 558 to 1060, but without clean wind, it’s a mess.

Into September, it’s more of the same. The first week of September is dominated by strong onshore winds from the SW and WSW, pushing swell from 5ft to 12ft – but again, all onshore, choppy, and ugly. The combined energy gets into strong territory, up to 2134 on September 7th, but the wind is a near gale or strong breeze onshore, so it’s just a washing machine.

Finally, on September 5th there’s a glimmer: a 4ft to 4ft swell from the west with a decent 11-second period and clean cross-off winds from the north. The combined energy is moderate, around 397 to 332, and the wind state says “clean.” But the score is still 0 out of 10, with “poor surf conditions” noted. It’s better than the rest, but not good enough to recommend. On September 6th morning, it goes glassy with a tiny 2ft swell and 90 combined energy – a 1 out of 10, and it says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the closest we get to a session, but it’s barely knee-high and weak.

After that, from September 7th to 9th, it’s all back to big, messy, onshore swell over 7ft to 12ft, with strong winds and blown-out conditions. Combined energy hits four-digit numbers, over 900 to 1374, but the wind kills any hope of a clean wave.

So yeah, mate, you’re better off checking back later. It’s a blank run for Church Cove, but forecasts can change, and this spot tends to bounce back. Not this time though.
Rusty.

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