The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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