Turtle Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell ya. Turtle Cove is the only game in town this forecast period, but honestly, it’s lookin’ like a tough run. The water temp is sittin’ at 72°, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year – nothing wild there.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. Right now, from Thursday the 20th through to the weekend, it’s mostly small and messy. The swell’s tiny, barely tickling the 1ft mark on Thursday afternoon, and it’s coming from the SE with a short, weak period of just 7 seconds. The energy is weak (26), and while there’s some clouds, it’s actually glassy with a cross-off wind, so the surface is clean – just not enough push to get excited about.

Friday the 21st is a write-off. A NE wind at 19 mph is blowing straight onshore, making a mess of things. Saturday the 22nd isn’t much better with rain and onshore winds. We see similar conditions into Sunday the 23rd, though by Sunday afternoon a clean SW cross-off breeze arrives as the swell nudges up to 4ft from the SSE with a period of 6 seconds. The energy jumps into the moderate range (143), but the waves are still just ordinary.

Now, Monday the 24th is worth a mention. We get a solid 19 mph offshore wind from the W, which will keep things clean, and the swell hangs around 4ft from the S/SW with a 6-7 second period. The energy is building to 164. This is the best of a pretty average bunch – clean faces, offshore wind, and something to ride, even if it’s not groundswell. Still, I’d call it surfable, not stellar.

The rest of the week through to the end of August is a frustrating mix of tiny swell and poor winds. The 25th and 26th drop right off again. We get a bit of a spike on the 29th with a 4ft SSE swell and a 8-second period, pushing energy to 229, but it’s a morning onshore wind that ruins it, and the afternoon goes cross-shore with marginal conditions.

Looking into the first week of September, the swell actually shows some size. From the 2nd of September through to the 4th, we see consistent 4ft to 5ft swell from the ESE with an 8-second period. The energy is strong, hitting 329 on the 3rd, and by the 4th we’ve got a clean cross-off wind from the SSW. But here’s the kicker – the wind direction for most of that run is NE or ENE, which is cross-onshore at Turtle Cove, making it lumpy and choppy. It’s a real shame, because the size is there for a decent session.

Honestly, mate, if you’ve got a kite, those days with the onshore wind and 5ft+ swell on September 3rd and 4th will look a hell of a lot more fun for kiting than paddling. The waves are there, but the quality is just not doing the work.

So, the standout? If I had to pick one, it’s Monday the 24th of August. Clean offshore, decent 4ft swell, and you won’t be fighting the wind. But don’t expect perfection. After that, the run up to the first few days of September brings more size, but the wind is against us.

Signing off, Rusty.

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