Smugglers Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – this outlook for Smugglers Cove is a tough one. We're looking at a long, dry spell with barely a whisper of decent surf for the next 16 days, starting from July 27th.

The core problem is that the swell that's showing up doesn't suit the break. Smugglers Cove needs a good W swell to fire, but we're getting a mostly SW groundswell with a very long period around 18 seconds. That's a lot of energy (moderate, around 475), but it's coming from the wrong angle. For a spot like this, that long-period groundswell is better suited for a point or reef, not the beach setup here. The water is a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 57°, so you'll want a decent suit.

The first week is a total write-off. From Monday the 27th right through to Sunday the 2nd of August, it's a mess of cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. The swell is small, between 1ft and 3ft, and the wind is never on your side. The energy is all weak to moderate. There's nothing to get excited about; it's all poor surf or marginal at best.

Then from the 3rd of August through to the 11th, things look cleaner on the surface but the swell is still small and weak. We get a bit more size, pushing up to 6ft on the 7th, but the wind is cross or cross-off, keeping it clean. But the problem remains – the swell direction is WNW or NW, not the W that Smugglers needs. The period is also short (6 to 10 seconds), so the waves will be weak and crumbly. The combined energy picks up a bit on the 7th (strong at 524), but it's not the right shape for the break. This whole stretch is just a frustrating tease; clean but no power.

The only small window where you might find a ripple is on the morning of the 3rd of August. The wind is a clean offshore from the N (15 km/h), the swell is a tiny 3ft from the WNW, and the period is only 8 seconds. It's rideable, but it's a beginner-level wave at best. It's not a standout, just the least-ugly option in a very ugly forecast.

After that, the 11th of August sees the swell drop right off again. The long wait for a proper W swell continues. For a spot that's fairly consistent, this is a real bummer of a window. If you're dead set on a paddle, you might get a few knee-highs on the 3rd morning, but honestly, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddler. The clean winds on the 3rd and 4th with a 3ft to 5ft wave would be a blast for them.

Keep your head up, though. It tends not to stay this poor for long around here, and forecasts can always change.

Rusty.

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