Church Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Church Cove has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit surprises there. The energy coming in is moderate to strong, with a combined swell energy reading of 1719, but don’t let that number fool you for the first few days.

We start Monday the 7th with a bit of a lumpy mess. Morning sees a 8ft SW groundswell (13-second period) but it’s coming in with a cross-shore breeze and a cross-chop, making it marginal at best. The day’s a write-off really. That swell hangs around Tuesday the 8th with a 5ft to 7ft swell, but a fresh breeze and strong cross-shore winds ruin the surface. Wednesday the 9th looks clean in the morning thanks to a cross-offshore breeze, but with a 6ft W swell (9 seconds), it’s only a marginal call. The afternoon gets chopped up again.

For the next few days, from Thursday the 10th through to the 14th, there’s a real dry spell. Swell drops right off, dropping to 2ft on Thursday, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-on, with poor conditions. Nothing to get excited about.

Now, here’s the standout. Keep your eyes on the morning of Tuesday the 15th of September. That’s the one. A solid 6ft W groundswell (12-second period) with glassy conditions – zero wind. The combined energy is strong at 1047, and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer. The swell direction is a good match for the optimum SW direction, and it’s a fairly exposed spot, so it’ll soak it up. The only catch is that Church Cove can be inconsistent, so don’t get your hopes up for a long session, but if it’s on, it’ll be clean. The afternoon sees a light cross-onshore breeze come in, so the morning is your window.

The rest of the second week, from the 16th onwards, is pretty grim. Strong winds, heavy rain, and a massive 13ft swell on the 17th that’s way too big and messy, more for experts or kite surfers than paddle surfing. The 18th and 19th don’t improve much. There’s a flicker of hope on the morning of Tuesday the 22nd with a 7ft W swell and a clean offshore wind from the NNE, earning a “good surf conditions” call, but it’s a long way out, so treat that as a promising but less certain option.

So, to sum it up: the early days are a washout, but that Tuesday the 15th morning is the one to circle. Get on it.

Rusty.

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