Turtle Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, with a look at what’s on the cards for Turtle Cove.

Right off the bat, I’ve gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty lean run. The first solid option doesn’t pop up until Wednesday the 26th of August, and even then, it’s not exactly firing. The overall pattern is a long stretch of small, average-to-poor conditions with a couple of half-decent windows that are worth a look if you’re keen for a paddle.

Wednesday morning the 26th is about as good as it gets in the first week. Turtle Cove (a reef and point setup) is seeing a 2ft swell from the ESE with a 9-second period. The combined energy is weak (56). The real highlight is the wind – light and offshore from the W, which will leave the surface glassy and clean. It’s a small, clean wave for the intermediate crew, but with crowds listed as ‘sometimes’, you might not be alone. The water’s sitting at 71°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year.

After that, Thursday and Friday are a write-off with poor conditions. Saturday afternoon the 29th has a moment with glassy conditions from a light SSW breeze, but the swell is tiny at 2ft and the energy is weak (64). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Sunday and Monday are also poor with small, weak swell and building winds.

The second week doesn’t get much better. There’s a small uptick on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The afternoon session sees a 2ft SE swell with an 11-second period – that’s a touch more groundswell character – and combined energy of 117 (moderate). The wind goes glassy from the W, so it’ll be clean and smooth. Again, it’s small, but for a quiet paddle, it’s the best of a pretty average bunch.

From Thursday the 3rd onward, conditions go downhill fast. Swell bumps up a bit (4ft to 5ft) but the period drops to 5-6 seconds, meaning short, weak, messy waves. The wind turns onshore or cross-shore most days, with strong breezes making it choppy and lumpy. By the 10th of September, the wind is howling offshore near gale force (31 mph) – that’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one, and even then, it’d be a challenge.

Honestly, if you’re desperate, Wednesday morning the 26th is the standout for clean, small waves. Wednesday afternoon the 2nd is your other shout for a glassy session. Beyond that, it’s a long gap of poor, blown-out conditions. The forecast can always shift, but as it stands, don’t get your hopes up.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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