The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag, with a lot of wind to deal with, but there are a couple of windows where The Cove (reef) could turn it on. The water’s sitting at about 56.1°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

First up, Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are write-offs. Strong cross-onshore winds and messy, choppy conditions. The swell is there but it’s a short-period, wind-affected mess. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday the 7th morning cleans up a bit with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is small and weak (combined energy 119). It’s surfable but nothing to write home about. Friday afternoon actually sees a jump in size – 6.9ft of swell from the west, period 8 seconds, and the energy jumps to 625 (moderate). The wind is cross-off and it’s clean. This is a standout session. The Cove handles a west swell well, and with that offshore wind, the reef should be offering some proper, lined-up waves. It’s in the intermediate range, so it’s not for beginners at that size, but for the experienced crew, this is the best of the early window.

Saturday the 8th keeps that same 6.9ft west swell, but the wind is a touch stronger. Still clean, but the quality is a bit more marginal. The energy is strong (730+). It’s a solid day, but Friday afternoon is the pick.

Sunday the 9th morning sees the swell peak at 8.2ft from the west, period 10 seconds, with a massive 1444 energy (strong). Wind is cross-off and clean. That’s a powerful, groundswell-driven session. At 8.2ft, it’s pushing into expert territory, and the reef will be handling that energy well. The crowd factor is “sometimes” here, so you might have a few others out, but it’s not a zoo. This is the other standout. Sunday afternoon the wind swings cross and it gets lumpy.

Monday the 10th morning is a surprise. Light offshore wind from the south, 5.2ft of swell from the north, period 10 seconds, and clean conditions. The energy is 575 (moderate). This is a very good session for the reef, with the offshore wind grooming the faces. The swell direction is north, which isn’t the optimum (NW), but with that period and wind, it’ll still produce some fun, clean lines.

After that, the surf drops off quickly. Tuesday the 11th through to Thursday the 13th are small, weak, and only ordinary. The energy drops to 88 or less by the 13th. There’s a gap of several days where it’s just not worth it.

Friday the 14th has a bump in size from the west, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy. Not great.

Saturday the 15th has 6.6ft of short-period west swell (6 seconds), but the wind is light cross-onshore. The energy is 460 (moderate), but the short period and wind mean it’s blown out. Honestly, this setup might be more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfing.

Sunday the 16th morning has a clean session with 4.9ft north swell, period 8 seconds, and cross-offshore wind. Energy is 327 (moderate). It’s a solid, clean option, but not a standout compared to the 7th–10th.

From the 17th to the 20th, it’s mostly small, weak, and often windy. The 20th Thursday morning has a light offshore, but the swell is tiny (1.3ft, energy 21). The 19th Wednesday is a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds.

Best on offer: Friday the 7th afternoon and Sunday the 9th morning. The 7th has the cleanest wind and good size, the 9th has the biggest, most powerful swell. Get on it.

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