Church Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checkin' in from the coast. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough stretch ahead for Church Cove. The whole 16-day window looks pretty grim. We’ve got a lot of wind and poor conditions, so don't get your hopes up for any kind of quality session. The first real chance of anything even worth paddling out for doesn't show up until Monday the 31st of August, and even then it’s just marginal.

There’s a lot of onshore and cross-onshore wind in the forecast, and the swell is all over the place. The water temperature is sitting at about 64°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won’t be enjoying it with all that chop.

So, here’s the rundown. Starting Friday the 28th of August, it’s a write-off. Strong WSW winds at 22 mph and a messy 5 ft swell with a short period of 6 seconds. The wave energy is weak (172) and it’s just poor. Saturday the 29th gets worse – a big 10 ft to 12 ft swell rolls in, but the wind is howling from the SW at 25 mph, then swinging WNW at 31 mph. The energy is massive (2218) but it’s blown out, close to a near gale. This is one for the kite guys, not for paddle surfing.

Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are still poor. There’s an 8 ft swell on Monday, but the wind is cross-shore at 16 mph, making it choppy. The energy is strong (1145), but the quality just isn’t there. Tuesday the 1st of September sees the swell drop right back to 4 ft with weak energy, and the wind is still messy.

The pattern just keeps repeating. We see another pulse of larger swell on Friday the 4th of September – 8 ft from the west – but it’s cross-onshore at 16 mph. The energy is high (1133), but the surface is chopped up. Then again on Monday the 7th of September, an 12 ft swell from the SW rolls in, but again, cross-onshore wind ruins it.

The biggest swell of the whole period hits on Tuesday the 8th of September – a solid 15 ft from the west with a long period of 11 seconds. The energy is insane (4602), but the wind is strong at 22 mph, creating a lumpy, cross-shore mess. That’s well over 8 ft, so it’s expert-only territory, and even then, the conditions are blown out. A long-period swell like that would be better at a point or reef, but the wind is the villain here.

The only flicker of hope comes on Wednesday the 9th of September. The swell drops to 7 ft, and the wind eases to a light 6 mph from the WSW. It’s still cross-onshore, but the energy is moderate (777) and the morning session might be just about surfable. That’s the best we’ve got, and it’s only a 2 out of 10. After that, it’s back to poor conditions right through to the end of the run on the 12th of September.

Honestly, there’s no standout day here. The entire 16-day window is a write-off for quality waves at Church Cove. If you’re desperate, the morning of the 9th of September is your only bet, but keep your expectations on the floor. This is a tough one.

That’s it from me. Keep your head up and your wax warm.
Rusty.

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