Turtle Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at the next stretch for Turtle Cove. It’s a reef and point set-up that’s fairly consistent, but let me tell you, it’s gonna be a test of patience for the most part. We’ve got a long, flat spell on the cards before things finally get interesting. Buckle up.

The first ten days or so are looking pretty grim. We're talking a lot of small, weak surf with poor conditions. The swell energy is just not there, with readings mostly in the twenties and thirties, which is about as weak as it gets. There are a few clean moments, like Tuesday afternoon the 18th with a 3ft SSE swell, but it’s only a 7-second period and very ordinary. The wind is cross-off, so the surface is clean, but there’s just no punch to it. It’s one of those times you paddle out and just find yourself drifting, not surfing.

We then hit a real dead zone. From the 19th right through the 23rd, it's all poor surf, mostly under 3ft, with winds swinging onshore and making a mess of things. The swell directions are all over the shop, but the periods are short and the energy is minimal. From Thursday the 20th to Sunday the 23rd, it’s basically a write-off. The swell is small, but more importantly, it’s chopped up and ugly. Not worth the wetsuit.

There’s a little flicker of life on Monday the 24th. The morning brings a 5ft SSW swell, with a moderate energy reading of 278, and the wind is a cross-off. It’s got some push to it, but the period is only 6 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit messy and disorganised. The call is marginal, so I wouldn't get too excited. The afternoon cleans up a bit with a light breeze, but the swell drops back to 4ft.

Now, if you're willing to wait, the real standout is Saturday the 29th, which is more than a week out, so don't book the time off just yet, but it's promising. The morning has a 4ft S swell, a 7-second period, and it’s glassy. The energy jumps right up to 292, which is a solid reading. That's the window. Glassy conditions and a clean S swell at Turtle Cove (Big Island) is as good as it gets in this stretch. The autumn sun will be on it as well, and with the water temp at a normal 72°F, it will feel great. It is the clear standout.

After that, things get a bit messy again with some fresh cross-onshore winds kicking up through the 30th and 31st. The first of September has some size, up to 4ft, but the wind is all wrong, making it choppy.

So, the bottom line: suffer through the first week-plus, keep an eye on the forecast for the 29th, and be ready to move. That’s the one true standout on offer.

Rusty out.

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