The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

We’re starting off with a pretty grim stretch of days. The Cove, a reef break that’s fairly consistent and works best with a NW swell, is going to be a write-off for a good while. The water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday the 31st is a no-go – cloudy, strong cross-shore winds at 19 mph, and a weak, messy 3ft W swell with only 4 seconds of period. The energy is just pathetic (59). It’s not worth paddling out.

Tuesday morning the 1st of September looks clean with offshore winds, but the swell is tiny at 1ft, so you’re barely getting a ripple. By the afternoon, it picks up to 6ft but the wind swings cross-shore and the period drops to 6 seconds – messy and lumpy.

Wednesday the 2nd has some size: 7ft from the NNW in the morning with a 9-second period, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. The afternoon lightens up with a NE breeze but still cross-onshore and marginal. Energy is moderate (889-891) but it’s not clean.

Thursday the 3rd is a 4ft N swell in the morning, but cross-shore winds ruin it. The afternoon cleans up with a light cross-offshore, but the swell drops to 3ft. Not much to get excited about.

Friday the 4th morning has a 6ft W swell with a longer 11-second period and clean conditions from a cross-offshore SSW breeze. This is the first time we’ve got something that looks promising – the energy is solid (873) and the wind is clean. But it’s still only a marginal call. The afternoon gets a big 10ft W swell, but the wind hammers up to 31 mph from the WSW – that’s near gale force, and the period drops to 8 seconds. That’s a messy, dangerous close-out. Not for paddle surfing; you’d want a kite for that.

Saturday the 5th is blown out again. 12ft from the WNW in the morning with 11-second period sounds massive, but cross-shore wind at 22 mph makes it a lumpy mess (energy 2999). The afternoon drops to 8ft but still cross-shore and lumpy. Too big and messy for anyone but experts, and even then, it’s not clean.

Sunday the 6th finally gives us a small window – 3ft from the NW, 8-second period, with offshore SSE winds. It’s weak (177 energy) and only “ordinary”, but it’s clean. The afternoon is similar with 2ft. Not a standout, but at least you can get wet.

Monday the 7th is back to poor – 6ft W swell, but cross-offshore winds are too strong (22-28 mph). Clean but blown out.

Now, here’s the best on offer: Tuesday morning the 8th of September. The swell is 4ft from the NW, 9-second period, with gentle offshore winds from the S. Energy is weak (267) but the conditions are clean and the wind is light. This is the only time in the whole run where the score says “expect good surf conditions.” The break is a reef, so that long period doesn’t matter as much. Crowds are only “sometimes” an issue, so you might get a few waves to yourself. This is the pick of the period.

After that, it’s a long gap. Wednesday the 9th has a 7ft W swell with 12-second period, but strong cross-offshore winds (25 mph) keep it marginal. The energy is strong (1184) but not clean. The rest of the week is all poor – Thursday the 10th to Tuesday the 15th is mostly onshore, weak, or blown out. The waves get smaller and smaller, and the winds pick up again. The final few days, like Tuesday the 15th, have clean offshore winds but tiny 2-2ft swell. It’s just not happening.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a mess. The one standout is Tuesday morning the 8th – small, clean, and glassy. If you can wait, that’s your window. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or too small. It’s a tough run for The Cove.

Rusty.

Read more