Cowries Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a proper look at what’s coming our way. We’re looking at a pretty lean start to the forecast period, so don’t be in a rush to grab your board just yet. The first real opportunity to get wet doesn’t show up until Saturday morning, the 29th of August, and even then, it’s nothing to write home about.

Saturday morning, August 29th – We’ve got a small window at Cowries (reef and point). Swell is a modest 4ft, coming from the SSE with a period of 9 seconds. The water temp is sitting around 64°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The combined swell energy is 358, which is moderate, and with a light cross-offshore breeze from the south at 6 mph, the surface is going to be clean. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, but it’s fairly consistent, so you’ll get a few. That said, this is the best we’ve got for the first few days, and it’s only a 2 out of 5 on the quality scale. Crowds can show up sometimes, so keep an eye out.

Sunday morning, August 30th – The swell drops right back to 3ft from the south, period 9 seconds. The energy is down to 211. But here’s the thing: the wind goes glassy. Dead flat, light air from the SSE at 3 mph. That’s a beautiful thing, but with such tiny waves, it’s more of a longboard or a paddle than a proper surf session. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

Then we hit a real dry spell. From Sunday afternoon all the way through to the end of the first week of September, the conditions at Cowries are pretty grim. The wind turns onshore or cross-shore, the swell drops to scraps, and the wave comment is consistently “poor”. There’s a stretch almost a week long where nothing is really worth paddling out for. The energy values dip into the double digits, and the swell is anemic. You’d be better off waiting.

Sunday, September 6th – Things start to wake up again. The afternoon shows some promise at Cowries with a 4ft south swell, period 11 seconds, and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the WNW at 6 mph. The combined energy is 318 and the report says “expect good surf conditions”. This is the standout of the whole period. The longer period means the waves will have some shape and punch, although this spot is a reef and point, so it’ll handle that groundswell well. The swell direction is from the south, which is not the optimum ENE direction for this break, but the quality of the wind and the clean conditions make it the best on offer.

Monday, September 7th – The wind turns nasty. Strong breezes from the WNW at 25 mph, even though it’s cross-offshore, it’s just too strong to be fun. The waves are small and blown out – skip it.

Tuesday, September 8th afternoon – We get a spike. The swell jumps to 10ft from the SSW with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is a massive 1980. That is a lot of water moving. But, this is a short-period swell, so it’s going to be crumbly and messy. And with 10ft, this is expert territory only. The wind is offshore and strong at 22 mph, so it’s clean, but it’s a beast. The comment says “marginal”, and honestly, unless you’re a real charger and know the reef, I’d be cautious. The set-up looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer at that size.

Wednesday, September 9th – The swell drops to 7ft from the SSE, period 9 seconds. Still big, still for experts only. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore at 12 mph, so it’s clean, but the energy is still strong at 611. Again, marginal conditions.

Thursday, September 10th morning – A return to small, clean, and glassy. 3ft from the south, period 9 seconds, with a glassy wind from the north at 3 mph. It’s just ordinary surfable waves.

The final stretch from the 11th to the 13th of September is mostly onshore or cross-shore winds with small, weak swell. The energy is moderate, but the wind is a problem. Nothing worth chasing.

The Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a clean session, your best bet is the afternoon of Sunday, September 6th at Cowries. That’s the highlight. The Saturday morning before that is the only other option for a beginner. The rest is a waiting game.

Alright, stay stoked and keep an eye on the horizon.

- Rusty

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