Japs Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. Looking at this 16-day window, I gotta be honest with you – it’s a tough one. We’ve got a solid run of small, weak swell and tricky winds across the board, so don’t be expecting any hero sessions. The first recommendation pops up on Thursday, July 30th, and we’ll take it from there.

Thursday, July 30th – We kick off at Japs Cove. It’s a sheltered reef set-up, so it doesn’t take much to get it working, but today is a struggle. We’ve got a 2ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a very long 16s period. The combined wave energy is moderate at 363, but the wind is blowing straight on from the southwest at 6 mph. That’s killing the shape. The water is a stinking 72°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – over 5°F above average, which is very unusual. The morning is a no-go, and the afternoon shifts to a cross-on 9 mph, keeping conditions poor. Just not worth paddling out.

Friday, July 31st – Swell drops slightly to 3ft, period easing to 14s, but the wind stays cross-on. Morning is light at 3 mph, but it’s still cross-on, leaving that surface bumpy. Afternoon gets worse with a 12 mph cross-shore wind. Score is still a zero. Move along.

Saturday, August 1st – Swell shrinks to 2ft, period 13s. Energy drops to 184. Wind is a light cross-on in the morning, and straight onshore in the afternoon. No improvement.

Sunday, August 2nd – We’re down to 1ft of SW swell. Energy is weak at 85-90. Light winds, but the swell is too small and chopped. It’s a write-off.

Monday, August 3rd, through Tuesday, August 5th – A long stretch of nothing. Swell sits at 1ft, period 13-15s, energy mostly below 120. Winds are light, but the surf is so weak it’s barely a ripple. Wednesday, August 6th, is more of the same – 1ft, light onshore winds. This is a full week of flat, poor conditions.

Friday, August 7th – Finally, a little spark. The swell bumps up to 2ft, but the period jumps to 19s – that’s a very long period groundswell. Energy climbs to 299. The wind is light and straight onshore in the morning, which is a shame. For a reef like Japs Cove, that long period is a double-edged sword: it’ll have good shape, but the onshore wind will mess it up. The morning is the best of a bad bunch, but it’s still poor surf conditions. The afternoon gets a 9 mph cross-on. Not the standout we were hoping for, but it’s the most energy we’ve seen.

Saturday, August 8th, through Tuesday, August 12th – Swell stays tiny, bouncing between 1.0ft and 2ft. Periods are 13-18s, but the wind is cross-on or onshore nearly every session. Energy peaks at 262 on Thursday, August 13th, but with a 16 mph cross-shore wind, it’s messy and choppy. This is kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing.

Friday, August 14th – The final day in the window. Swell is 2ft, period 15s, with a light 3 mph cross-on wind. It’s the cleanest wind we’ve had in a while, but the swell is just too small. Energy is 178 – weak.

Bottom line: There are no standout days here. The best of the worst is Friday, August 7th morning, with that 19s period groundswell bringing some energy to the reef, but the onshore wind kills it. If you’re desperate, you might get a few 2ft rollers that are clean, but don’t expect much. For the rest of the 16 days, it’s flat or blown out. The forecast can change, so keep an eye on it, but right now, I’d leave the boards at home.

Rusty out.

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