The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cooking at The Cove.

Right off the bat, this 16-day window is a bit of a wild ride. We get some serious size early on, but the wind is going to be a major pain for most of it. The real sweet spot, the one you should be circling on your calendar, is tucked away in the second week, and I'll get to that.

The start is brutal. Saturday the 5th has a solid 12ft WNW swell with a ton of energy but that 25 mph cross-wind from the WNW is going to rip the face off it. Pure messy cross-chop. It's big, but it's not clean. Sunday the 6th drops right down, way too small and weak with onshore winds. Monday the 7th gets a bit of a pulse, that 5ft to 6ft W swell is there, and we finally get some offshore wind, which is clean. But the energy is still moderate and the period is short and bumpy. Not worth getting too excited.

Tuesday the 8th looks insane on paper – a massive 15ft swell from the W with energy off the charts – but a near-gale force 31 mph wind will turn it into a washing machine. That’s strictly for tow-in heroes or kites, not your standard paddle session. The rest of that first week and into the second is plagued by strong cross and onshore winds, making most of the solid swell windows just blown-out and lumpy. Forget that stretch from the 8th through the 18th; it’s a long, frustrating gap of poor conditions. There are little windows of glassy or clean conditions, like the 11th and 13th, but the swell is tiny, under 3ft, so it’s barely a ripple.

Now, here’s the standout. Hold on for the morning of Saturday, September 19th. The weather forecast is clear, the wind is dead calm. Glossy conditions, mate. We’ve got an 8ft swell rolling in from the WNW with very strong energy. This is a proper, groundswell pulse with a 9-second period that will line up nicely on this exposed reef. It’s a big, powerful wave though, so this is only for experienced surfers. This is easily the best on offer. The water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. Crowds are always possible at The Cove on a good day, and this will be a good day.

Then, Sunday the 20th is almost as good. Another clean, offshore morning with a 7ft WNW swell and an 11-second period. This might actually have better shape and longer lulls between sets, which can make the paddle out easier. The swell is a touch smaller but still solid. This whole weekend is a goldmine if you can handle the size.

So, to wrap it up: grind through a couple weeks of mostly windy, blown-out junk for that one incredible, glassy Saturday morning on the 19th, and don't sleep on Sunday the 20th either. That's your window.

Rusty.

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