Rincon - The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards. The next couple of weeks are pretty quiet around here, honestly. There’s no proper swell on the table for a solid stretch, and a lot of the time the waves will be small and a bit messy. But if you’re patient, there are a couple of windows where things line up nicely.

It’s a slow start. We’ve got a few days of very small, ordinary surf. From Sunday 30 August through to early September, you’re looking at knee-high dribble with cross-shore winds and only marginal conditions. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re just keen for a splash. That spell of weak energy (around 55 to 309 in the combined swell energy) means the ocean’s pretty lacklustre.

Rincon - The Cove is the only break on the radar, and it’s a consistent point break that’s fairly exposed to the swell. It likes the swell from the NNW, and we get mostly SSW and SW swells in this window, so direction isn’t ideal. The water temperature is sitting at 71°F, which is a whopping 8°F warmer than usual for this time of year — that’s very unusual, almost like a mini heatwave in the water.

Now, there’s one standout. On Tuesday 8 September, the afternoon session looks proper. Swell jumps to 10ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, glassy conditions, and light cross-offshore wind at 6 mph. The combined swell energy is a meaty 3397 — that’s serious juice. This is big, powerful groundswell. At that size, it’s strictly for experienced surfers; beginners should stay well clear. The long period means Rincon’s point should offer some long, lined-up walls, but beach breaks nearby could be a bit straight. Winds are clean, so expect smooth faces. This is the pick of the whole forecast.

Leading up to that, Saturday 5 September afternoon isn’t bad either — 2ft from the SSW, 16-second period, light offshore, and clean. It’s nothing huge, but the energy (280) is moderate and the conditions will be pleasant. Sunday 6 September morning even goes glassy with a light NE breeze and 3ft from the south — that’s a really nice little window for a cruiser session.

After that big pulse on the 8th, things drop away quickly. The rest of the second week is back to small, weak swells (1ft to 3ft) with average winds and not much punch. The energy drops into the double digits or low hundreds. From Wednesday 9 September onward, it’s mostly ordinary, with only a few brief clean-ish afternoons. Nothing stands out.

So, bottom line: if you’re after the good stuff, circle Tuesday 8 September afternoon at Rincon. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting through a lot of flat and forgettable days.

Rusty.

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