The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve got the skinny on The Cove. This is a reef setup, and it’s an advanced wave, so don’t even think about paddling out on a foamie. It’s inconsistent, so we’re looking for the right windows. The water temp is sitting right around 80°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so you don’t need a steamer.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first bit of real action hits on Friday, July 31st. It’s small, just 2ft of swell out of the SSW, but here’s the kicker – that period is 16 seconds, a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (290). The morning is the pick with a glassy, offshore wind from the NNE at 3 mph. It’ll be clean, but tiny. The afternoon sees the wind pick up to 12 mph, still offshore, but that’s a stiff breeze.

Saturday and Sunday, August 1st and 2nd, are pretty ordinary. The swell drops to 1ft and the energy fades. It’s surfable but weak. The wind is offshore, so it’s clean, but you’re really scratching for waves.

Monday the 3rd through Tuesday the 4th, we’ve got glassy mornings with the swell still tiny at 1ft. The energy is low (77 and 103). It’s clean but not inspiring.

Then we hit a dry spell. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are poor. The swell is small, the wind is all over the place, and the energy is just 46 to 93. There’s a risk of thunderstorms on the 5th afternoon. Not worth the paddle.

Now, the outlook starts to look up. From Friday the 7th, the swell holds at 1ft, but the energy is picking up (165). The real turnaround starts Saturday the 8th. The morning is glassy, with a 2ft SSW swell and a 14-second period. The energy jumps to 290. That’s a solid, clean wave on the cards.

The standout window is Sunday the 9th of August. The morning looks excellent. We’ve got 2ft of SSW swell, a 18-second period, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is strong at 455. That’s a proper, clean groundswell hitting that reef. This is the best on offer in the first week. The afternoon holds up, too, with a light cross-offshore wind.

Monday the 10th is another beauty. The morning is glassy, 3ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, and the energy is strong at 603. Tuesday the 11th follows with similar conditions, though the swell drops a touch to 3ft.

Then we get the real gem. Wednesday the 12th of August. This is the standout of the whole outlook. The morning is completely glassy, calm wind, with a 3ft swell from the South, period of 18 seconds, and the combined energy is a very strong 842. The afternoon is even bigger, hitting 4ft from the South, 17-second period, and the energy is massive at 1127. That’s a proper, powerful south swell. The wind is light, clean. The caveat here is that this is a long-period groundswell, and over a reef, it’ll be lining up, but it could be a bit straight for a beach break. Here at The Cove, a reef, it’s going to be organized and powerful. The 4ft size is solid, but over 5ft it can get too big for beginners, and this is right on the edge. It’s for advanced surfers only.

Thursday the 13th gets a bit messy. The swell is still 4ft, but the wind turns onshore from the SW, and the conditions are marginal. The energy is still very strong (910), but the wind is a problem.

The final week from Friday the 14th to Saturday the 15th settles back down. The swell drops to 3ft from the South, with good periods (13-14 seconds), and the energy is solid (400+). The wind is mostly glassy or light offshore, so it’ll be clean and fun, but nothing like the Wednesday peak.

So, the clear winner is the morning of Sunday the 9th, and the absolute standout is Wednesday the 12th of August. For that Wednesday, get there early for the glassy morning. It’s a long-range call, so it’s promising but not locked in yet. The Cove is inconsistent, so when it fires, you’ve got to be on it. Watch out for the crowds, because it’s "sometimes" busy, especially on a good day.

Rusty.

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