Church Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up – Church Cove is a tough beat this forecast period. A lot of the time, the conditions are just ordinary, and the swell is either too small or too messy to get excited about. There’s a long, quiet gap from now until the very end of the month, but the final few days might just offer something for the crew who can handle the big stuff.

Right now, water temp is sitting at 67°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – about 4° above average. That’s a bit of a treat for the skin.

The first sniff of anything surfable doesn’t come until the 26th of August. Wednesday morning there’s a clean 4ft SSW swell with a short period of 7 seconds, and a light offshore breeze from the NE. The energy is moderate (203), but it’s really just a small, weak wave. The score says surfable but very ordinary – not worth paddling out for.

Then on the 27th, Thursday afternoon, we get a pulse of 10ft WSW swell with a 9-second period, but the wind is light onshore from the SSW. The energy jumps to 1284 (strong), but it’s marginal with questionable tide conditions. Not a great call unless you’re desperate.

Now, the standout – and I mean the real standout – comes on the 28th of August, Friday morning. The swell hammers in at 18ft from the west with a long 13-second period. The energy is massive (8669), and we’ve got a strong offshore wind from the NE blowing clean. That’s a proper groundswell, and it’s going to be absolutely pumping. But here’s the catch – it’s too big for most. Only experts should even think about it. The wave comment says it all: "wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break." The direction is west, and the optimum swell direction for Church Cove is SW, so it’s off-angle, but with that size and clean wind, the waves will be lined up and powerful. Expect crowds – it’s a spot that gets busy when it’s on.

Saturday the 29th is still big, with 15ft to 13ft west swell, clean cross-off winds from the north, and energy in the thousands (4797 on Saturday morning). Still only for the brave. The swell eases a bit but remains well overhead.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is a write-off. The best on offer is the 28th and 29th of August, but only if you’re an expert. If you’re a beginner, give it a miss. Keep an eye on the forecasts – things can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game for the big stuff.

Rusty.

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