Turtle Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve scanned the charts for the next couple weeks, and gotta be straight with you: this is a pretty lean run for Turtle Cove. There’s no big, punchy swell marching in, and the windows of clean, rideable surf are small and scattered. If you’re desperate for a paddle, there are a couple mornings that might just scrape through, but you’ll have to pick your moment real careful.

Tuesday morning, August 4th, is about as good as it gets in the near future. We’ve got a clean little 4ft swell pushing in from the south, with a period around 8 seconds – nothing world-beating, but the wind is glassy, coming light out of the NNW. The water’s running at 69°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, about a couple degrees off the norm. The wave energy is in the moderate range (220), enough to move you around. This is the best on offer early on; it’s small and clean, good for a grovel on that reef and point set-up. Just keep in mind that crowds are possible here sometimes, so don’t expect to have it all to yourself.

After that, things go flat or cross-windy for days. Wednesday morning, August 5th, offers some clean, offshore wind from the WSW and a tiny 3ft south swell (102 energy), but it’s very ordinary – surfable if you’re really keen, but nothing to write home about.

We then hit a long, dry spell. From Thursday the 6th right through to Monday the 10th of August, the surf either drops to knee-high or gets clobbered by strong cross-offshore winds. Thursday morning is practically flat at 1ft (16 energy), and by Monday the 10th, it’s barely a ripple at 0.3ft (5 energy). Not worth wetting a wetsuit.

There’s a tiny flicker of hope on Tuesday morning, August 11th, with another clean, offshore morning – WSW wind again, 3ft south swell, but it’s just more of the same very ordinary conditions (55 energy). You could get a few soft ones, but it’s marginal.

We finally see a bit more size by Sunday, August 16th, with a 5ft south-southwest swell rolling in (147-148 energy), but the wind is cross-onshore out of the ENE and SE, chopping it up. The sets might have some push, but the surface will be messy. Not recommended.

Then, on Wednesday, August 19th, we get the biggest pulse of the whole forecast: a 7ft southwest swell with moderate energy (318), but the wind is howling at 22 mph from the SW – a fresh cross-offshore breeze. That kind of size and wind at an exposed reef-and-point break? This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The period is short at 6 seconds, so it’ll be a lumpy, shifty mess. This one’s for experts only if anyone dares, but honestly, it’s a pass for me.

So to sum it up: Tuesday morning, August 4th, is your stand-out. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too far off. The long gap from Thursday the 6th to Monday the 10th is a total write-off. If you’re hanging for a wave, make the call for that Tuesday morning glass-off, but keep your expectations low.

Rusty.

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