The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down for The Cove.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The first real window of opportunity hits us early on, with the best conditions kicking off Thursday morning. After that, it’s a long stretch of messy, wind-affected days before things get big and rowdy again towards the end of the month. Hold onto your board.

Thursday 9th July is the standout. The morning session is where it’s at. We’re looking at a clean 3.6ft swell out of the west, with a solid 9-second period. The wind is a light offshore from the SSE, which is a big plus – it’ll keep the surface glassy. The combined swell energy is a moderate 231, so there’s enough push to get into some fun ones. This is a reef break, so it’s intermediate territory, but with that west swell and light breeze, it’ll be peeling nicely. It’s a reef, so it can be a bit tricky, but when it’s on, it’s on. Keep in mind it can get a crowd here sometimes, so get in early.

The afternoon of Thursday 9th gets a bit more questionable with a 4.6ft swell and onshore wind, so stick to the morning.

Moving into Friday 10th and Saturday 11th, the wheels fall off a bit. The wind goes cross-on or onshore, and the swell drops. Friday morning is a scruffy 2.6ft with a cross-onshore breeze – not worth paddling out for. Saturday is a bit better with a 3.9ft swell, but that cross-onshore wind keeps it choppy. It’s a pass.

Sunday 12th is flat. The swell drops to 2.3ft and the energy is weak at 66. Not happening.

Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th show a little pulse, but it’s small. Monday morning has a tiny 2.0ft WNW swell, but the wind is clean and cross-offshore, so it’s surfable but very ordinary. Tuesday morning is the best of the bunch with a 3.9ft WNW swell and a 11-second period, giving it a bit more grunt with a clean 350 energy. The wind is cross-off again, so the surface is clean. It’s a marginal call, but if you’re desperate, it’s the only game in town.

From Wednesday 15th through to Sunday 19th, it’s pretty grim. The swell is non-existent or tiny, and the wind is all over the place. The 19th sees a jump to 5.2ft, but it’s accompanied by a fresh 30 km/h cross-onshore wind and lumpy conditions. Not worth the drive.

Now, the second week gets interesting for the wrong reasons. From Monday 20th July onwards, the swell pumps up, but the wind is a nightmare. We’re talking onshore winds from the north and northwest at 30 to 40 km/h. The swell builds from 4.9ft to a solid 8.2ft by Thursday 23rd. The combined energy on the 22nd hits a massive 2362, and on the 23rd it’s 1336 – that’s serious power. But with that strong onshore and cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. Only for the experts, and even then, it’s not going to be good. The setup here is a reef, so with that much wind and swell, it’s going to be a blown-out mess. Honestly, if you were looking for a paddle, this is a no-go. For a kite surfer, it might be a different story, but for us, it’s a hard pass.

So, bottom line: Thursday morning 9th July is your best bet. Get on it because the rest of the outlook is a long wait for either nothing or a howling, messy close-out.

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