The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first week is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got poor conditions, messy winds, and barely surfable waves until we get to the end of the first week. The only real standout window is Monday the 24th of August, and I’ll get to that in a sec.

The early part of the period, from Wednesday the 19th through to Sunday the 23rd, is a real struggle. Wind is mostly cross-onshore, fresh, and the swell is weak to moderate at best. The combined energy is low, mostly under 500 (475 or less), and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” almost every session. There’s a small glimmer on Sunday afternoon the 23rd with a gentle breeze and clean conditions, but the swell is tiny at 4 ft from the WNW with a short period of 7 seconds, so it’s marginal at best.

Now, Monday the 24th of August is the clear standout. The Cove (reef) is looking at a solid 7 ft WNW groundswell with a 11-second period, which is a proper long-period groundswell. Combined energy jumps right up to 1126, which is strong energy. The wind is glassy – glassy, mate – coming from the south at just 3 mph. That’s about as clean as it gets. The water temperature is 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no drama there. This is an excellent day for experienced surfers – the swell is solid and the conditions are near-perfect. Just be aware, with that longer period, The Cove is a reef break, so it should handle it well, but it might be a bit much for beginners. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early.

After Monday, the surf drops off fast. Tuesday the 25th sees the swell dropping to 4 ft, and while the wind is clean cross-off, it’s a fresh 19 mph from the SE, so it’s not the same quality. The rest of the week into the start of September is a mix of tiny swell, poor conditions, and onshore winds. There’s a small window on Thursday the 27th with gentle offshore winds and a 3 ft swell, but it’s nothing special. The combined energy is low, and the wave comment is “surfable but very ordinary.”

From the 29th of August onward, the surf is basically flat or close to it, with combined energy below 100 most days. A few small pulses show up around the 31st of August and 2nd of September, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the period is short, so it’s not going to be worth paddling out.

In short, the only real standout is Monday the 24th of August. The rest of the 16-day window is mostly a bust. Forecasts can change, but right now, that Monday is the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty

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