Turtle Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what Turtle Cove has in store for us.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. There’s a big, ugly gap of nearly dead-flat or blown-out junk for the first week. Don’t even bother looking at the water before Friday, July 10th. We’ve got nothing but rain, howling onshore winds, and tiny, messy dribble. That Monday and Tuesday (July 6th and 7th) sees the swell jump up a bit, but it’s all short-period wind swell hammered by cross-onshore winds, making for a completely unsurfable mess. The combined energy is moderate mid-week, hitting 293 on Monday afternoon, but the conditions are just pure rubbish.

The first real flicker of hope comes Friday morning, July 10th. The wind swings offshore from the west, and while the swell is small at 3 ft from the SSW, it finally cleans up. The afternoon actually looks *decent* – 4 ft of SSW swell with a gentle offshore breeze. The combined energy climbs to 272, which is moderate. We’re not talking about a standout day by any stretch, but after a week of nothing, that Friday arvo is the first time you can actually paddle out and catch a few. Don't expect much, but it's a start.

The following week is a real mixed bag, mostly small and average. A couple of mornings, like Wednesday July 15th, have clean conditions from a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is struggling to hit 3 ft. The wind on that Wednesday arvo gets nasty – near gale-force from the southwest. That’s not for surfing, that’s for hanging on.

Now, the real news, and what I’m gonna call the actual *standout* of the whole 16-day outlook, is Sunday, July 19th. This is one to circle on the calendar. We’re looking at a solid 8 ft SSW swell rolling in. The combined energy is a massive 961 – that's strong wave energy, and you’ll feel it. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the southwest, keeping the face clean. This is the pick of the period without a doubt. Just be warned: at 8 ft, this is expert territory. The period is 8 seconds, so it’s not a super long groundswell, but there’s plenty of power. If you’re not comfortable in overhead surf, give this one a miss. Crowds at Turtle Cove can be a problem sometimes, and days like this? Expect it to be busy.

Monday, July 20th, also looks pretty good as it backs off, with a clean 4 ft SSW swell and an offshore wind in the morning – a nice way to finish the run.

So the plan is simple: don’t waste your time until Friday July 10th. The real target, the one with the most size and potential, is Sunday July 19th. There’s a real chance of a great session then, as long as you’ve got the skills for the size.

- Rusty

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