The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer over the next few weeks. The outlook starts with a long, quiet spell, so don’t get your hopes up too early. The first solid chance doesn’t come until the second week, and even then, it’s a real mixed bag. Hold tight.

The first usable surf shows up on Sunday, 16 August at The Cove. It’s a reef setup that’s exposed to NW swell, so it can handle a bit of direction. That Sunday morning, we’ve got a clean, glassy start with 3ft of swell coming from the north, a period of 8 seconds, and a combined energy of 207 (moderate). That glassy wind is a real treat, and it’s gonna look beautiful out there. The water temperature is 56°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year—no major anomaly there. This is the best moment in the whole window: clean, small but rideable, and with that offshore wind making it silky. Crowds can pop up at The Cove sometimes, so get in early.

That window doesn’t last. By Sunday afternoon, the wind swings cross-onshore and it’s back to poor conditions. The following Monday (17 August) sees a small pulse of 3ft swell from the north with a period of 9 seconds, and clean offshore winds in the morning and again in the afternoon. The combined energy is moderate (170 and 129), but it’s ordinary—surfable but nothing special. Tuesday, 18 August, gets blown out by fresh cross-shore winds, so we’re back to square one.

The second week gets more interesting but also more unpredictable. Wednesday, 19 August, the swell jumps to 8ft from the WNW, period a short 8 seconds, with a combined energy of 673 (strong). That’s a lot of water moving, but the wind is light cross-onshore, and the conditions are described as marginal. For a reef break like The Cove, that short period is a bit of a buzzkill—it’ll be lumpy and hard to read. By the afternoon, the energy spikes to 1203 (very strong) with 7ft of WNW swell, but it’s choppy and cross-onshore. This is really only for the experienced crew who don’t mind a messy, powerful session. Beginners should steer clear—8ft is the upper limit for them, and this is pushing 8ft.

The swell fades a bit heading into Thursday, 20 August, with 6ft and then 5ft from the WNW, periods around 10 seconds, but the wind is onshore and the conditions are poor. Not worth paddling out. Friday, 21 August, is more of the same: small, weak, and messy.

Saturday, 22 August, brings a slight improvement. We’ve got 5ft from the north with a short 7-second period, but the wind is a clean cross-offshore breeze from the SE, and the conditions are clean. Combined energy is 233 (moderate). It’s not a standout, but it’s the best-looking wave of that weekend—clean and surfable for intermediate types. The swell drops again into Sunday, 23 August, with glassy conditions in the morning on 4ft from the WNW, but the period is a dismal 5 seconds. That’s windswell, no push, and it’ll be weak and inconsistent. The afternoon picks up a bit to 5ft, but with a cross-on breeze.

Monday, 24 August, is the last day in the forecast. We get 4ft from the WNW with a 6-second period and clean cross-offshore wind in the morning (energy 157, moderate). It’s another ordinary, just-surfable morning. By the afternoon, it’s back to 5ft from the west, period 8 seconds, with a light cross-shore wind and a combined energy of 316 (moderate). It’s marginal, but if you’re desperate, there might be a few.

Overall, the standout is that Sunday 16 August morning session at The Cove. It’s clean, glassy, and the best quality we get. The big WNW swell on 19 August is for experts only, and it’s not pretty. For everyone else, the small clean windows on 22 and 24 August are your next best bets, but they’re nothing to write home about. The long quiet start is a bummer, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

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