Seaside Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming down the line for Seaside Cove. Honestly, it's a quiet start and the whole 16-day window is a real mixed bag. We've got a long stretch of nothing much at the beginning, so don't rush to wax up just yet.

We're starting on Thursday the 27th of August, but there's barely a bump. For the first few days, through the weekend and into early next week, we’re looking at tiny 1 to 2 feet swells from the SW with a long 14 to 18 second period. The winds are all sorts of wrong – cross, cross-on, even onshore – so it's choppy and messy. There's no real energy either, with the combined swell energy sitting weak in the 160 to 260 range. It's a write-off for a paddle. Honestly, for the first four days, you're better off finding something else to do.

We get a slight lift around Sunday the 30th, with the energy creeping up a touch, but it's still tiny and the wind is on it. It's a "marginal" call at best. Monday the 31st is more of the same. Then Tuesday the 1st of September sees a shift in direction, with the swell coming from the WNW at 3 to 3 feet, but the period drops to just 9 seconds, so it’s weak, short-period windswell, and the wind is straight on it from the SW. Not good.

Wednesday the 2nd has a bit more size, hitting 4 feet from the WNW with the combined swell energy jumping to 386 (moderate), but the wind is howling from the S at 15 mph making a right mess of it. This pattern of building swell but hammered by wind continues right through the first week of September. By Friday the 4th, we've got 5 feet of WNW swell and the energy is up to 688, but it's raining and the wind is on it. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than one for a regular board – the chop is going to be nasty.

We finally get a little window of hope. Look at Monday the 7th of September morning. The swell drops back to 2 feet from the SW with a long 14-second period, combined energy of 218 (moderate). More importantly, the wind is NNE at 9 mph, giving us a clean cross-off breeze. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions." It’s small, sure, but it will be the cleanest wave we've seen in a week. You'll need a grovel board.

After that, we head into the second week of the outlook. Things get a bit more interesting in size but stay tricky. Thursday the 10th has 3–4 feet of WNW swell with a period bumping up to 11 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate to strong in the 378–475 range. The wind is a light cross-on from the SW, so it's not clean, but it's not a disaster. Then Friday the 11th of September has the biggest swell of the whole run: 5 feet in the morning going to 6 feet in the afternoon from the WNW, with a solid 9-second period and combined energy up to 560 and 669. It's a moderate energy swell, but once again, the wind is on it or cross-on. It's a "marginal" call. That 6 feet is getting a bit pushy for beginners and the onshore wind will make it lumpy.

So where does that leave us? There's no true standout, but if I had to pick the one time to paddle out, it's Monday the 7th of September in the morning for the cleanest conditions, even if it's tiny. The second best would be Friday the 11th of September for the biggest swell of the period, but you'll be battling a light onshore wind. Crowds at Seaside Cove can be "sometimes" busy, but on that Monday morning with tiny waves, it should be quiet. For the bigger Friday, expect more people out.

The water temperature at Seaside Cove is 60°, which is just 0.4° off the long-term average, so pretty normal for the time of year – no need for a full winter suit yet if you've got a decent spring one.

Stay patient, the surf is on a slow build but the wind just won't play ball.

Rusty.

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