The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real here. The Cove is our only spot on the table for the next 16 days, and I’ve gotta be straight with you—it’s a rough stretch. The energy is tiny, the wind is mostly working against us, and the forecast keeps calling it poor pretty much every session. But let’s walk through it day by day.

We start off on Monday, 10th August, with the afternoon. The swell is a measly 2 ft from the east, period a short 4 seconds, and the wind is a cross-on from the ESE at 12 mph. The water’s sitting at 86°F, which is about normal for this time of year (anomaly of +0.9°F). The combined energy is a weak 17. It’s choppy and just not worth paddling out for.

Tuesday the 11th is more of the same. Morning sees 1 ft from the ESE, cross-on breeze at 6 mph, energy down to 9. Afternoon drops even further to 0.3 ft, and the wind switches to onshore. Just forget it.

Wednesday the 12th, we’ve got 0.3 ft in the morning with a light cross-shore wind, and 0.3 ft in the afternoon with a gentle cross-on. The energy is 4 and 7. Tiny and messy.

Thursday the 13th offers 0.7 ft in the morning, cross-shore wind, energy 8. Afternoon back to 0.3 ft with light cross. Not a single wave worth your time.

Friday the 14th shows a little bump in the morning—2 ft from the SE, period 4 seconds, but wind is cross-on at 6 mph. Energy gets to 11. Still poor conditions. Afternoon drops to 0.3 ft, onshore.

Saturday the 15th brings the biggest swell of the entire 16-day window—3 ft from the SE, period 5 seconds, but wind is cross-on at 12 mph in the morning. Energy hits 47, which is still weak. This is the closest we get to anything rideable, but with a risk of thunderstorms and chop, it’s a total mess. Afternoon is 3 ft, cross-on, energy 38. It’s the “best” of a bad bunch, but honestly, it’s barely surfable for a beginner, and even intermediates will be frustrated.

Sunday the 16th, swell drops back to 2 ft, cross-on winds, energy 23. Monday the 17th, 1.0 ft from the ESE, period 9 seconds, energy 17. Still poor.

Now, here’s a tease: on Wednesday morning, 19th August, we get a moment of glass. The wind is from the SE at 3 mph, dead calm, and the swell is 1 ft from the NE with a period of 12 seconds. Energy climbs to 61—the highest of the whole forecast. That long period (12 seconds) means the waves have a bit more push, but it’s still only 1 ft. The glassy conditions would make it look pretty, but you’ll be waiting for sets. This is the only standout window, and it’s a marginal one. After that, it’s back to cross-on slop.

From Thursday 20th through to the end of the forecast on Tuesday 25th August, we’re looking at tiny swell (0.7 ft to 2 ft) with onshore or cross-on winds, risk of thunderstorms, and energy wavering between 12 and 31. Nothing changes.

There’s a long gap of basically no decent surf from the start until that Wednesday morning glass-off, and then another dead run after that. For an area like this, a blank run is pretty normal when the conditions line up this badly. The setup is a beach and reef, so with the small, onshore energy, it’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing—but only if you’re desperate.

The Cove is a fairly consistent spot normally, so it tends not to stay this poor for long. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the board at home until that Wednesday morning glass, and even then, keep your expectations real low.

Rusty.

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