Japs Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet run, to be honest. There’s a long stretch of days where the surf just isn’t shaping up, and it’s not until the very end of the window that we see a glimmer of something rideable. The first real chance to paddle out comes on Friday, 18 September, but even then, it’s marginal.

The first recommendation is for Japs Cove (a sheltered reef setup for advanced surfers only). It’s inconsistent at the best of times, and that’s the story here. The water is sitting at 73°F, which is a massive 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, and you’ll definitely feel it.

For the bulk of the 16-day period, from the start right through to Thursday, 17 September, the surf is a write-off. Small, weak, and messy. The combined energy of the swells is mostly in the 100-200 range (weak), with a few days pushing into the 300s (moderate), but the wind is consistently cross or cross-onshore, putting a chop on everything. It’s not worth getting wet for.

The only time that even sniffs a chance is Friday morning, 18 September. We’ve got a 2 ft swell from the SW with a super long period of 19 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’ll be clean. The combined energy reads 405 (moderate). The problem is, a long period 19s swell on a sheltered reef like Japs Cove can be extremely straight and difficult to manage. And with a rating of marginal, it’s a long shot for a skilled local who knows the wave. This is the only stand-out in the whole outlook, and it’s a low-percentage one.

After that, it’s back to poor conditions through the rest of the window. Honestly, if you’re set on a paddle, wait and see if the forecasts improve. For now, this is a period to rest the arms and watch the horizon.

Rusty.

Read more