Turtle Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. The only game in town for the next 16 days is Turtle Cove, a reef and point set-up that’s fairly consistent. It’s an exposed spot, so it catches what’s out there, but the quality is going to be hit and miss.

The water at Turtle Cove is running at 67°, which is much colder than normal for this time of year – a solid 4° below average. You’ll be reaching for the 5/4 if you’ve got one.

We kick off Monday the 20th with a small, weak swell. A glassy 3ft from the SSW (8-second period) in the morning. It’s tiny, but with the glassy conditions, you could get a fun little slide in if you’re on a foamie. The combined energy is a weak 81, so don’t expect much push. The afternoon gets blown out with a 12 mph cross-shore wind.

Tuesday the 21st is a write-off. The swell is messy and small, topped out at 4ft in the afternoon, but with a 16 mph cross-onshore wind and rain showers, it’s a complete no-go. Choppy and ugly.

Now, Wednesday the 22nd is where things get interesting. The morning brings a 7ft swell from the SSW (8 seconds). The combined energy jumps to a solid 660 (moderate) and the wind shifts cross-offshore. The waves will be clean. By the afternoon, the swell pushes to 8ft with a 22 mph cross-offshore breeze and a risk of thunderstorms. That’s a lot of water moving around (energy at 933). This is big, powerful, and a bit raw. This is definitely for experienced surfers only – the 8ft mark is expert territory. If you’re a beginner, stay on the sand.

Thursday the 23rd is a good one. The morning has a 8ft swell from the S (10-second period, 1019 energy). It’s clean with a cross-off wind. The wind turns fully offshore (W at 9 mph) in the afternoon, and the swell drops to a very manageable 6ft (9 seconds, 632 energy). This is the standout of the first week. “Expect very good surf conditions” sums it up. The offshore wind will groom the point, and the S swell is close to the optimum SE direction. This is the session to aim for.

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th drop back to tiny, knee-high dribble. Glassy mornings with 3ft, but the energy is weak (82-157). Not worth paddling out for.

From Sunday the 26th right through to Friday the 31st of July, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. The swell is small, the winds are onshore or cross-onshore, and it’s choppy. There’s a brief spike on Tuesday the 28th with a morning offshore wind and 6ft (7 seconds, 271 energy), but the swell period is short and wind is moderate. It’s surfable, but nothing special.

The second week starts to look promising again. Saturday the 1st of August is a mess with a strong cross-off wind and tiny swell. But Sunday the 2nd is a major highlight. A morning offshore wind (WNW, 9 mph) with a 6ft SSW swell. The energy is 350 (moderate). The afternoon picks up to 8ft (7 seconds, 569 energy). It’s clean, but at 8ft, it’s getting big for the intermediates.

The best of the entire forecast, though, is Monday the 3rd of August. The morning has a 7ft swell from the SSW (8 seconds) with a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy is a beefy 865. “Expect very good surf conditions.” This is a solid, powerful, clean swell at the cove. The wind is light, so expect clean, lined-up waves. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

Tuesday the 4th fades out with a strong offshore wind (19 mph) and a smaller, dropping swell.

So, the standout windows are Thursday afternoon the 23rd of July for the first week, and Monday morning the 3rd of August for the second week. The 3rd of August looks the most solid of the whole run. Get out there if you can.

Rusty, out.

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