Rincon - The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Rincon - The Cove. We’ve got a full 16-day window, but I gotta be straight with you: it’s not going to be pumping. The energy is there, but the size is tiny and the conditions are going to be touch-and-go. We’re looking at a long stretch of surfable but ordinary waves, so don’t expect any hero sessions.

The water temperature is sitting at 71° right now, which is a whopping 7° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

Let’s start with Thursday, the 27th of August. We’ve got a tiny 0.5 ft swell from the S, with a period of 10 seconds. The morning is looking glassy with a light W wind at 5 km/h (3 mph). The combined energy is moderate (125). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon gets a little bump to 0.6 ft from the S with a clean offshore WNW breeze at 15 km/h (9 mph) (173). Still nothing to write home about.

Friday the 28th is a bit of a mess. Morning sees a 0.4 ft SSW swell (19-second period – very long period) with a cross-shore wind. That long period is best for point breaks like this, but the size is tiny. The combined energy is moderate (225). The afternoon cleans up to a cross-offshore breeze with the same small swell.

Saturday the 29th is actually the pick of the bunch. The morning has a 0.7 ft SSW swell (17-second period) with a cross-shore wind, but the energy jumps to a strong 369. The afternoon is where it’s at: 0.7 ft from the SSW, 16-second period, clean cross-offshore wind, and the conditions are described as “expect good surf conditions” with a solid energy reading of 303. This is the best on offer. The swell direction (SSW) is close to the optimum (NNW), so it’ll wrap in nicely. Crowds are possible at The Cove, but for these tiny waves, it won’t be hectic.

Sunday the 30th drops off again. The morning is marginal with a cross-shore wind on the same 0.7 ft SSW swell. The afternoon has clean cross-offshore wind but drops to 0.6 ft. The rest of the week into September is a rinse-and-repeat of tiny 0.4 ft to 0.6 ft swells, mostly from the S or SSW. The afternoons tend to be cleaner with a cross-offshore wind, but the mornings are often plagued by cross or cross-onshore breezes.

There’s a bit of a highlight on Thursday the 3rd of September. The afternoon shows a 0.7 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, clean cross-offshore wind, and expect good surf conditions again (359 energy). That’s your second standout, but it’s still small.

From the 5th of September onward, the outlook gets grim. We’re looking at poor surf conditions for days on end. The swells stay small, the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the scores are rock bottom. There’s a brief clean-up on the 8th and 9th of September in the afternoons with 0.4 ft to 0.5 ft SW swells, but the energy is weak (between 154 and 193). After the 11th, it’s a dead run with no surf worth paddling for.

So, to sum it up: if you’re keen, your best bet is Saturday the 29th of August afternoon, or Thursday the 3rd of September afternoon. Otherwise, it’s a lot of small, ordinary waves with a few clean windows. Don’t get your hopes up.

Rusty.

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