The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

Alright folks, let’s talk about The Cove. It’s a reef setup, intermediate territory. Right now, we’re in a bit of a slow patch. The water temp is sitting at 56.5°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year.

We’ve got a bit of swell on Monday, the 24th, with waves around 6.6ft coming from the WNW, but it’s a cross-off wind and the energy is moderate (933). It’s a bit marginal overall, nothing to get too excited about. That drops off hard. Tuesday the 25th into Wednesday the 26th sees the swell fading hard, down to under 1.6ft and basically no energy (29). That’s a dead spell. Thursday the 27th is still tiny, just 2.3ft, and while it’s clean, it’s barely surfable. Friday the 28th is a write-off with light rain and messy cross-onshore wind.

Then we get a bump over the first weekend. Saturday the 29th has some 5.9ft windswell from the WNW, but the period is short (6 seconds) and the wind is howling at 22 mph, making it lumpy and choppy. Not your friend. Sunday the 30th brings a moment of calm with glassy conditions in the morning, but that 5.2ft swell is still short-period and lacking shape (166). Worth a look if you’re desperate, but don’t expect magic.

After that, we hit another lull. Monday the 31st through to Wednesday the 2nd of September is mostly small or wind-affected junk. Thursday the 3rd of September morning finally gives us a clean window with offshore winds from the SSE and a 3.6ft W swell. The energy is moderate (331) and the conditions are looking *good*. That’s a solid session for the intermediate crew.

Now, the real standout is Saturday, the 5th of September. This is the one. We’ve got a proper 9.8ft groundswell from the west with a long 13-second period. The energy is very strong (2833), and the wind is fresh offshore from the south. That’s a recipe for some serious, powerful waves at this reef. This is expert territory – over 8.2ft, so leave the foam boards at home. The afternoon cleans up even more with 8.2ft waves and moderate offshore wind. If you’re an experienced surfer, that Saturday is your day. Sunday the 6th is still good with a 6.6ft west swell and gentle offshore wind (956), but it’s backing off.

Heads up for Monday the 7th of September: the models are spitting out a massive 23.0ft west swell, but the energy is off the charts (10612) and the wind is onshore. That size is way too big for this break and will be dangerous. Don’t even think about paddling out.

All in all, there’s a dry spell right now, but keep your eyes on Thursday the 3rd of September for a clean, fun session, and definitely circle Saturday the 5th of September for the big, powerful swell if you’ve got the skills.

That’s the word. Stay safe out there.

Read more