The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s break down this 16-day stretch for The Cove.

It’s a lot of waiting and watching for a spot that loves a north-west swell. There’s a heap of cross-shore and onshore wind that’s going to chop things up for a long while. You gotta be patient, but there are a couple of absolute bombs way out at the end of the forecast.

Right up front, Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are weak. Tiny 2 to 5 ft swells with bad wind. Don’t even bother. That poor run keeps right on going through the weekend. Thursday the 20th has some 6 ft swell, but the wind is straight onshore at 25 km/h and the period is a short 7 seconds. It’s just a mess. The following days through the 25th stay junky, with small waves and moderate cross-onshore breezes. The energy is low to moderate.

On Monday the 24th morning we finally see a clean, tiny 1 ft wave from the WNW with a nice long 12-second period. The afternoon is more interesting, picking up to 4 ft at 11 seconds, also clean with cross-off wind. Energy is moderate (315). You might snag a couple of fun ones, but it’s still just a marginal situation.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are a letdown again, with strong 30-35 km/h cross-off winds cleaning the surface but the waves shrink back under 3 ft and the energy is weak. Thursday the 27th is lumpy again.

Now for the good stuff. Sunday the 30th of August is the big payoff. The morning is the absolute highlight of the entire outlook. We’re looking at a massive 15 ft swell from the WNW with a clean 10-second period. The energy is enormous at 4411. The wind is a light, gentle offshore from the SSE at just 15 km/h. For the reef, that’s a recipe for big, powerful, clean lines. This is strictly for the experts – well over 8 ft, so leave the soft tops at home. For the experienced crew, this is going to be a memorable morning.

That same Sunday afternoon is still enormous at 13 ft, but the wind switches to a cross-on from the NW, making it lumpier and a bigger challenge.

Monday the 31st of August is also a win. The morning features a solid 6 ft swell from the WNW, with a gentle offshore SSE wind. Energy is strong (681). The conditions are clean. That’s a very good window for intermediate surfers looking for a big, clean day. The afternoon drops to 5 ft with a cross-off wind, still clean but with less punch.

Tuesday the 1st of September is a total write-off with heavy rain, onshore gales, and messy surf. By Wednesday the 2nd, we get a last tidy window: a clean 4 ft swell from the west with a moderate offshore wind, finishing things off nicely.

The bottom line: sit out the first week and a half. The two absolute standouts are Sunday morning, August 30th for the big-wave experts, and Monday morning, August 31st for veteran intermediates. That’s where you want to be.

Rusty.

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