The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s cooking for our local stretch.

The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a stretch of small, ordinary waves to start, but the real story is a late-summer swell that builds in the second week. Gonna take some patience, but the reward is a proper session on the cards.

The first real action we see is a fleeting window on Tuesday, August 11th. The Cove is up first with a small, clean wave in the morning. The swell is a weak 4ft from the north, with a short 8-second period. The combined energy is only 178 (moderate). The wind is a cross-offshore from the SSE, so the face will be clean. It’s a very ordinary, small option for a quick paddle.

The rest of the first week fades into very small, clean but weak conditions. We get glassy afternoons on Wednesday, August 12th with a tiny 2ft west swell, but the energy is a paltry 93 (weak). It’s not really worth getting wet for. The wind stays light or offshore for a few days, so the water is clean, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We hit a rough patch from Friday, August 14th through to Monday, August 18th. The wind swings onshore or cross-shore, and the swell is a messy combination of short-period wind chop. The sets are small and peaky, but the wind tears it all apart. Honestly, it’s more of a kite day than a surf day during that period. There’s a few days of no real recommendations in there.

Now, the real standout is building towards the end of the week. On Thursday, August 20th, we start to see some proper energy. The morning brings a clean 7ft swell from the west with a 10-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 741 (strong). That’s a lot of juice. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the WSW. The swell stays solid through the afternoon, hitting 8ft from the west with an 11-second period and a massive 1258 combined energy (very strong). The wind is still a cross-off, so the waves will be well-shaped and powerful. This is for the experienced crew only – it’s over 8ft at the peak, so it’s expert territory. The Cove is a reef break, so long-period groundswell like this (over 11 seconds) will wrap in nicely, giving proper walled-up waves. Don’t expect a crowd, but crowds are possible here.

The strong conditions ease slightly into Friday, August 21st, but it’s still solid and clean with a 6ft west swell. The wind holds cross-off, so the quality stays high. This is your best window for a solid session without the top-end size.

The rest of the forecast has some energy, but the wind gets messy again. There is a final, very promising window on Tuesday, August 25th. We see a glassy, calm morning with 6ft west swell and a very long 11-second period, and the combined energy is a huge 1047 (very strong). The description says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. The wind is flat calm, the ocean is glassy. This is a late call, so it’s promising but less certain – keep an eye on it. The Cove normally handles that direction well, and with no wind, it’ll be a dream for the crew that goes.

So, the short story: the first week is mostly a write-off. The real standout is the Thursday, August 20th and Friday, August 21st. That’s your best bet for a proper, powerful, clean session. The glassy Tuesday, August 25th is a long-shot wildcard that could be very special.

Rusty.

Read more