Japs Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got on the cards for the next couple of weeks. To be honest, it's a pretty quiet run ahead, so we need to be realistic about what's on offer.

The first window with anything rideable doesn't arrive until Saturday the 19th, so we're looking at a solid 4-day gap with just flat, poor conditions. That Saturday morning is the one tiny glimmer we get. Japs Cove wakes up with a clean 2ft SW groundswell. The period is a chunky 18 seconds, which is proper long-period ground energy, and gives it some real push for such a small height. The water is sitting at 73°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 7° anomaly, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home. The absolute standout on Saturday morning is the wind. It’s glassy. Dead flat, offshore breeze from the SSW at just 3 mph. For a sheltered reef like Japs Cove, that’s as good as it gets. The combined energy is moderate (280), but with those conditions, each set will have a clean little shape. It's small, sure, but with that period, it'll be lined up and worth a paddle.

Now, the rest of the outlook stays stubborn. From Saturday afternoon right through to the end of the month on September 30th, it's a constant battle with onshore and cross-onshore winds. Most of the time it's a moderate breeze from the W or WSW at 9 to 12 mph, but it picks up to 16 and even 19 mph later in the second week. That breeze is ruining the structure of the swell. The waves themselves hover around 1ft to 3ft from the SW, with periods dropping from the nice 18 seconds down to a less exciting 12–14 seconds by the end. The combined energy figures creep up into the (300–400) range on some days, showing there’s actually a bit of water moving, but the wind keeps it a chop-fest. There's nothing to get excited about here. It's just poor surf conditions day after day.

To be clear, the only morning that has my attention is Saturday September 19th at Japs Cove. It's a reef break best for advanced surfers, and it is *inconsistent*, so don't expect non-stop action, but when a set comes through on that glassy morning with the 18-second groundswell, it'll be the best wave we see in this whole 16-day stretch. After that, it's a waiting game. Rig up something else for the rest of the time.

Rusty.

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