The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a close look at what’s cookin’ for The Cove over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a pretty grim start. The first week or so is a write-off, with nothing but poor surf conditions and messy, cross-shore winds. Friday through Sunday of this week are all blown out, with lumps of wind swell and choppy water. You’d be wasting your time paddling out.

Then, things finally turn around. The real standout window hits on Monday, 24 August. The Cove is looking mint that morning. We’ve got a solid groundswell pulsing in from the WNW at 7ft, with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-off from the SSE. That combo is gonna deliver clean, powerful waves. The combined energy is pumping strong at 1126, so there’s plenty of grunt in the water. This is only for experienced surfers, though – at over 8ft, it’s big and serious. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The afternoon of the 24th is still excellent, with the swell dropping slightly to 7ft but still clean and cross-off. That’s a solid day for anyone comfortable in overhead-plus surf.

From Tuesday 25 August onward, the swell fades fast. The wind stays clean (cross-off) for a few days, but the wave heights drop to 4ft, 3ft, and then down to 2ft by Wednesday and Thursday. The energy drops too, with combined numbers around 284 and then way down to 47. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

There’s a long dry spell after that. Friday 28 August sees a near gale cross-shore wind with a tiny, short-period 3ft swell – that’s more of a kite session than a surf. The next few days are mostly small, messy, or just average.

The only other flicker of hope comes much later, on Saturday, 5 September. That morning we get a 5ft swell from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds, and clean cross-off winds from the SE. The combined energy is moderate at 335, and it’s rated as good surf conditions. The afternoon holds similar size but a slightly longer period, though the conditions are reported as marginal. It’s a week-and-a-half out, so keep an eye on it, but it’s the best looking thing after that Monday.

So, no doubt about it: Monday 24 August morning is the one to circle. The Cove (reef) will be firing with a solid, clean WNW groundswell. Get out there early if you’ve got the skills. After that, the forecast is quiet and small.

Rusty.

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