Turtle Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. I’ve had a proper look at what’s coming up around Turtle Cove (reef and point), and I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are pretty average. There’s no standout swell window, and most days are either too small, blown out, or just plain messy. But there is one afternoon that might get the pulse going a little, if you’re patient.

The water’s sitting at 72°F, which is only 0.5°F off the average – fairly normal for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

We start Tuesday morning, 18 August, with a little 3ft SSE swell, short 7-second period, and glassy conditions thanks to a tiny 3 mph NE breeze. Combined energy is only 102 (weak), and the waves are surfable but very ordinary. It’s a tease more than anything. That afternoon the wind swings SW at 9 mph, cross-off, but still only 3ft – clean, but small.

Wednesday 19 August has rain showers in the morning, wind SW at 9 mph cross-off, swell dropping to 2ft SE – energy down to 68. Afternoon doesn’t improve, with 2ft SSE at 6 seconds. Poor.

Thursday 20 August into the weekend is a write-off. Swell barely reaches 1ft through Friday, with NE cross-on winds up to 12 mph, and Saturday even worse – onshore ENE at 16 mph gusting, swell only 3ft but period is 4 seconds, so it’s just wind slop. Combined energy peaks at 72 (weak). Not worth paddling out.

Sunday 23 August drops to 0.7ft ESE with a 12-second period – that long period might look promising on paper, but at that size it’s barely a ripple. Wind is onshore ENE at 9 mph.

Monday 24 August morning has a fresh W wind at 19 mph offshore, swell 3ft S at 7 seconds, energy 106 (moderate). Clean, but only 3ft and the wind is strong. The afternoon stays clean with cross-off SW at 19 mph and energy bumps to 141 – still, it’s not the sort of day that’ll have you rushing.

Tuesday 25 August morning goes glassy again with WNW 3 mph, 2ft S swell at 7 seconds – surfable but very ordinary. Afternoon SSW cross-off, small.

From Wednesday 26 August to Friday 28 August, the energy starts climbing. Wednesday morning is tiny (1ft SE, 15-second period) but the combined energy is only 60. Wednesday afternoon jumps to 4ft SE at 5 seconds with energy of 123, but the wind is cross-off SSW at 16 mph – not great. Thursday 27 August morning has 1ft SE at 12 seconds with 135 energy, still cross-off. That afternoon, 4ft S at 7 seconds and energy hits 219 (moderate). Conditions are clean but winds SW at 12 mph cross-off – a marginal call.

Now, Friday 28 August afternoon is the best of a lacklustre run. Swell builds to 5ft S at 9 seconds, combined energy of 390 (moderate to strong), light SSW wind at 6 mph cross-off making it clean. This is the pick of the forecast. For an intermediate-friendly reef and point, that’s a decent size but not huge. Wind is light and cross-off, so it should be clean with workable shape. The direction is S and the optimum is SE – not a perfect match, but close enough. This is what I’d pencil in.

Saturday 29 August morning is cross-shore with N wind 16 mph and only 4ft S at 7 seconds – messy. The afternoon improves to cross-off NW at 9 mph with 3ft SSW, but it’s not special.

Sunday 30 August has a morning cross-shore N at 9 mph, 2ft SE – poor. Afternoon picks up WSW offshore at 12 mph with 2ft SE at 8 seconds, energy 63 – surfable but ordinary.

Monday 31 August morning has WNW cross-off at 6 mph, 3ft NE at 4 seconds – short-period slop. Afternoon has a 1ft SE at 16 seconds (very long period), but at that size it’s barely breaking. Energy only 94.

Into the first days of September, Tuesday and Wednesday have easterly onshore winds up to 22 mph, swell 4ft to 2ft SE at 6–13 seconds, combined energy moderate to strong (125–156), but it’s onshore and choppy. Not one for the paddle surfer – if anything, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, with that strong onshore wind and moderate energy.

Bottom line: the whole 16-day window is thin. The only half-decent moment is Friday 28 August afternoon – that 5ft S swell with light cross-off wind offers the best chance for a clean session at Turtle Cove. Everything else is small, windy, or ordinary. Don’t hold your breath for the rest.

Rusty.

Read more