Turtle Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Turtle Cove over the next couple of weeks. I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s a lean stretch. The whole 16-day window is filled with what we’d call “poor surf conditions” more often than not, and the energy in the water stays low for the majority of it.

We kick off things on Thursday afternoon, the 9th of July, but it’s a scrappy start. The swell height is just 1 ft out of the east with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak, sitting at only 34, and that wind is a cross-off from the SSW at a fresh 19 mph. It’s surfable, maybe, but not worth paddling for. The water temp is 67°, which feels a bit colder than normal for this time of year by about 2°.

Friday the 10th has the first real glimmer of hope. In the morning, we get a clean 2 ft swell from the south, but with a shockingly short period of just 5 seconds. The wind, however, is light and offshore from the WNW at 6 mph, making the surface glassy. The combined energy is still weak at 55. We get a repeat in the afternoon, same 2 ft south swell, period up to 6 seconds, wind swinging to the west at 16 mph – still offshore, keeping things clean. It is very ordinary surf, but if you’re desperate, Friday is the day for a cruise on a longboard.

From Saturday the 11th through to Tuesday the 14th, it’s a write-off. Onshore winds, choppy conditions, and tiny swell. The break doesn’t really get any juice until Wednesday the 15th of July, but even then, the morning shows a 5 ft swell from the southwest (period 6 seconds) and a combined energy of 164 – still weak-to-moderate at best – but the cross-off wind from the SW at 19 mph is not doing it any favours. It’s rated clean but the quality score says poor.

Then we get to Saturday the 18th of July. Now, this one stands out from the crowd. The swell jumps to 8 ft from the SSW with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy hits 711 – that’s strong wave energy. BUT, it comes with a risk of thunderstorms and a cross-off wind from the southwest at 16 mph. The surf report calls it “marginal” and notes questionable tide conditions. That’s too big for beginners; it’s expert-only territory at that size, and those short-period storm swells will be dumping hard. This is a real wildcard.

For the rest of the run from Sunday the 19th through the 24th, it’s a steady diet of poor conditions with onshore winds or strong cross-onshore breezes, and the swell direction never quite locks in with the optimum SE direction that this reef and point wants. The period never gets long enough to build proper groundswell lines, so the shape will be weak and lumpy.

The bottom line: If you have to paddle out, set your alarm for Friday morning the 10th. It’s the smallest and weakest wave of the bunch, but with offshore winds and clean conditions, it’s the only time you’ll get a half-decent, manageable wave. For the brave and the strong, keep an eye on Saturday the 18th – that 8 ft pulse has power, but it’s a stormy, tricky beast. Everything else in this two-week window is a hard pass.

Stay patient, and keep the wax in the car for a better day.

Rusty.

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