Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period, S swell with 347 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cove this week:
The surf forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 0.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Look, we've got a bit of a weird one coming up. The surf's not going to be pumping, but there are some moments where it'll be worth getting wet. The standout is Sunday morning, 16 August, at The Cove (reef break). It’s not big by any stretch – just 3ft from the south, but that's packing some serious grunt with a 16-second period, giving it a solid 686 wave energy reading. It's a proper groundswell, and with the wind glassy from the ENE, the surface will be like a mirror. This is the best on offer, no question. The water's sitting at 80°, which is pretty average for this time of year, so a springy is fine.
After that Sunday morning window, it drops off. Sunday afternoon gets messy with light cross-onshore wind and the surf fading to 2ft. Monday the 17th isn't bad at all – the morning sees a clean 3ft south swell with a 14-second period and a nice offshore breeze from the NNE. It’s not breaking perfectly, but it’ll be fun for an advanced wave. Tuesday the 18th through to Thursday the 20th are all pretty ordinary – small surf, 2ft to 2ft, with the odd glassy window but nothing special.
The pattern really picks up again later in the week. Friday the 21st is a write-off with cross-onshore wind, but Saturday the 22nd afternoon has a glimmer of hope – a glassy 2ft south-southwest swell with a 15-second period, and 294 wave energy. That's a decent little session. Then we hit a dry spell of small, clean but weak surf through to Wednesday the 26th.
Now, the real late call: Wednesday the 26th of August through to Thursday the 27th. The swell bumps up to 2ft to 2ft from the south with a long 18-second period on the Wednesday. The combined energy hits 458, which is solid, and it's got a clean offshore breeze all day. For a reef break like The Cove, that's a real treat – long period swells groom perfectly over the reef. This is the other standout. Keep in mind The Cove is inconsistent and can be a bit of a tease, but when it's on, it's on. Also, it gets crowded sometimes, so get in early.
After that, it fades back into small, clean but unexciting waves right through to the end of the month. The 30th of August morning has a clean 2ft south-southwest swell with 284 energy, which could be a nice little dawny. All up, if you're keen, hit Sunday morning 16 August, and then keep an eye on Wednesday 26 August for the best of the second week. It's not a blockbuster period, but there's enough there to keep a frother happy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
330 | 183 | 347 | 333 | 257 | 170 | 123 | 119 | 117 | 69 | 71 | 129 | 207 | 202 | 278 | 219 | 162 | 261 | 152 | 158 | 150 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | off | off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | off | off | glassy | off | off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | off |
High Tide | 6:31PM0.53m | 7:48AM0.57m | 7:05PM0.45m | 8:49AM0.59m | 7:47PM0.37m | 9:55AM0.62m | 8:54PM0.32m | 10:59AM0.65m | 10:27PM0.29m | 11:57AM0.68m | 11:47PM0.30m | 12:49PM0.72m | 00:48AM0.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:23PM0.19m | 00:44AM0.05m | 1:27PM0.24m | 1:18AM0.06m | 2:48PM0.28m | 1:59AM0.08m | 4:45PM0.29m | 2:49AM0.09m | 6:46PM0.26m | 3:49AM0.10m | 7:40PM0.22m | 4:52AM0.09m | 8:14PM0.19m | ||||||||
6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 6:53 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | |
mm | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 26 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 7 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
323 | 134 | 347 | 333 | 257 | 170 | 123 | 119 | 117 | 84 | 63 | 44 | 54 | 40 | 278 | 219 | 162 | 261 | 152 | 158 | 150 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 13 | S 6 | SSW 18 | WSW 6 | W 11 | E 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | S 11 | E 8 | E 8 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
330 | 168 | 36 | 31 | 3 | 10 | 50 | 79 | 79 | 69 | 71 | 129 | 207 | 202 | 37 | 32 | 31 | 84 | 47 | 46 | 44 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 16 | SW 5 | WSW 6 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 17 | W 13 | W 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 15 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 10 |
33 | 183 | 7 | 3 | 37 | 37 | 74 | 14 | 26 | 67 | 65 | 45 | 21 | 21 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 10 | 90 | 90 | 20 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 | E 5 | E 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 4 | — | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 4 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 |
805 | 381 | 235 | 119 | 121 | 71 | 37 | 120 | 115 | 140 | 167 | 4 | — | 78 | 40 | 83 | 7 | 71 | 73 | 94 | 191 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Maui | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Cove Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Cove provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Cove can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Cove surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (The Cove) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for The Cove may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a vacation in Maui? If you are looking for accommodation near The Cove, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in Maui, consider staying in Kihei which is 6 km (4 miles) away. Other places in and around Maui where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Wailuku which is 17 km (11 miles) away, Kahului, Lanai - Lanai and Kaunakakai - Molokai.











