The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s chew through what’s coming.

The first few days are a bit of a bust. Friday the 24th starts with a big, angry 8ft to 10ft west swell, but that 22 mph cross-off wind is howling, and the energy is huge (1100-1244). It’s just too messy to be enjoyable. Saturday the 25th is the worst of it – a 15ft wall of WNW swell with over 4000 on the energy scale, getting torn apart by a near gale. Kite surfers would love it; paddle surfers, forget it.

We’ve got a gap. Sunday and Monday are still blown out or just marginal. The swell drops back to 6ft, but the wind keeps it lumpy.

The real window opens Monday afternoon, the 27th. The wind finally eases to a light breeze from the southwest (6 mph), and it’s a clean, cross-off breeze. The Cove is a reef break, so it’ll handle that longer-period NW groundswell well. The swell is only 5ft, but with a 10-second period, it’ll have some shape. The water temp is around 55°, which is dead average for the time of year. This is the standout – not huge, but clean and fun for an intermediate surfer. The energy is a moderate 733, so it’s got some push.

Tuesday the 28th hangs on. The morning has a 4ft west swell with a moderate breeze, but the afternoon picks up to 5ft, and it’s still clean. Good second choice.

Wednesday the 29th is small – 4ft to 4ft – but glassy in the afternoon. Grab a longboard.

Then it all dries up. From Thursday the 30th through Sunday the 3rd of August, the swell flatlines. Waves under 3ft, weak energy readings (under 100), and the wind is mostly cross or cross-on. It’s a proper lull. The Cove is a consistent spot, but when it’s this flat, it just doesn’t break.

Looking into the second week, Monday the 3rd of August afternoon sees a spike back to 8ft from the west-northwest, but the period is a short 7-8 seconds, and it’s cross-onshore. Messy. Tuesday the 4th of August has a better look: 8ft to 7ft from the NNW with a light onshore wind. The energy is strong (831-662), and the reef will straighten some of that out. For experienced surfers, that’s the one to keep an eye on.

After that, the swell fades and the wind gets messy. The tail end of the 16 days on the 8th of August has some 5ft swell with a long 11-second period, but a fresh cross-shore wind ruins it.

So, bottom line: the best bet is Monday afternoon, the 27th of July at The Cove. Clean, manageable, the reef will be working. For a bigger session, keep an eye on Tuesday the 4th of August if you’ve got the chops.

Rusty.

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