The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for The Cove. It’s a bit of a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks, to be honest. We’ve got a few bright spots, but plenty of wind and not much decent swell for the first half of the run. Let’s get into it.

The water temperature at The Cove is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the 5/4 just yet.

The first real chance to get a wet suit on comes on Monday, 24 August. The morning is ordinary, but by the afternoon, the wind switches to a light offshore from the SSE, and we’ve got a clean 7ft wave from the WNW. The period is a solid 11 seconds, so there’s some proper groundswell energy pushing in. The combined energy is a strong 867, which tells you this isn’t a weak little pulse. This is the standout of the whole outlook. The Cove is a reef break, so that longer-period swell is going to wrap in nicely and offer some proper lines. The sets will be a bit more spaced out, but it’ll be worth the paddle out. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, but on a Monday, with a decent forecast, you might get a few, but it’s not a zoo.

The next morning, Tuesday, 25 August, is still pretty clean, with a light offshore and glassy conditions in the afternoon. The swell has dropped right back to 3ft, though, so it’s more of a fun little session for a log or a fish. The energy is weak (117) so don’t expect any power.

We then hit a long dry spell. From Wednesday, 26 August, right through to Sunday, 1 September, the surf is either too small, too windy, or just plain poor. The wind is howling from the SE and SW at times, making a mess of things. The swell is small and inconsistent. It’s a proper gap of about a week where you’re better off doing something else.

Then, finally, on Tuesday, 1 September, the wind settles back offshore in the afternoon, but the swell is still tiny at 3ft. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

The real second chance comes on Wednesday, 2 September. The morning has a gentle offshore breeze from the south and a 3ft swell from the west. The period is short at 7 seconds, so it’s more of a windswell, but with clean conditions and a moderate energy of 217, you’ll be able to get a few decent ones. The afternoon is smaller again, but still clean. It’s a solid second-best option if you missed the Monday.

So, to wrap it up: Monday, 24 August afternoon is your absolute best bet. Clean, solid 7ft groundswell with offshore winds. That’s the one to circle. After that, it’s a long wait for some small, clean waves on the 2nd of September.

Rusty.

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