The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for The Cove over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the next 16 days are looking pretty flat. The combined swell energy is weak, mostly under 30 for the entire run, and those tiny waves are blowing out with cross-onshore winds most of the time. There’s no real standout day, no session that gets the heart rate up. If you’re desperate for a paddle, you might find a few 1ft to 1ft spells, but the quality is rated poor right through. The wind is usually from the SE at 9 to 16 mph, which is cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s not going to be clean. The water temperature is sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, around 86°, but that’s little comfort when there’s no wave to ride.

The first few days, from Thursday 16th July through the weekend, are all showing poor surf conditions with nothing rideable. The swell is tiny, mostly from the NE or SE, with periods under 8 seconds, so it’s weak, short-period slop. The wind is either glassy on Thursday morning with 3 mph from the ESE, but that’s attached to a 1ft wave that’s barely a ripple. The afternoon sees the wind pick up to 6 mph cross-onshore, and it gets worse from there.

Friday 17th has a clean morning with a light cross-offshore wind from the SW, but the swell is only 1ft, not enough to get excited about. By the afternoon, it’s a 16 mph cross-onshore mess with 2ft of short-period junk. Saturday and Sunday are much the same: tiny swell, cross-onshore winds, and the combined energy never pushing past 28. The morning of Sunday 19th has a cross-shore wind from the SSE at 9 mph, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7ft.

The entire second week, from Monday 20th July through to Friday 31st July, is a write-off. The swell doesn’t break 2ft, the periods are short, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or cross. The combined energy rarely hits 30, and even when it does, it’s still a weak, choppy affair. There’s a brief moment on Thursday 30th afternoon where the wind turns directly onshore from the ESE at 9 mph, but the swell is only 0.7ft, so it’s not worth a mention.

To be honest, this is a blank run for the area. The Cove is a beach and reef setup that needs a decent push from the NNE to work, and it’s just not getting it. With the wind consistently cross-onshore and the swell so small, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to jump for.

Rusty.

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