Westport-The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer around Westport-The Cove. It's been a bit quiet for a while, but there might be a couple of windows if you're patient.

Right now, we're in a slow spell. The first real chance to get wet comes on Tuesday morning, August 25th. It's not going to flip any switches – just small 2ft WSW groundswell with a long 17-second period, but a solid 25 km/h southerly offshore keeps things clean. The combined energy is moderate (255), so there's some push there, but it's pretty tiny for a proper session. The water's sitting at 62°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

Wednesday and Thursday mornings (26th and 27th) offer similar tiny 2ft SW swell. The wind is light offshore each morning – that's clean, glassy surfaces – but the wave height is so small it's really just a beginner-friendly paddle. The energy stays moderate, in the 100-200 range, so expect weak, slow rollers.

Friday the 28th starts okay with a light offshore and 2ft swell, but by afternoon the wind swings cross-onshore and the quality drops right out. That sets a poor trend into the weekend. Saturday the 29th is a write-off with building onshore wind and messy, choppy surf.

Then a little gem appears. Sunday morning, August 30th, gets a reprieve. The wind goes glassy – dead calm – and the swell lifts slightly to 2ft from the SW, with that clean period holding at 16 seconds. The energy climbs to a moderate 303. For a spot that's fairly exposed to a WSW optimum, this is the first real standout. It won't be big, but it'll be clean and lined up. Could be worth a dawny.

Monday the 31st stays clean enough under a light cross-off, but it's still small. Then Tuesday September 1st, the swell direction shifts to WNW and period drops short to 9 seconds. The energy stays moderate but the quality is ordinary with cross and cross-off winds. That pattern of onshore WNW wind and short-period slop continues through Wednesday and Thursday (2nd-3rd September). Not worth paddling out.

Friday morning, September 4th, is another glassy moment. Light SE breeze, 3ft WNW groundswell with a 9-second period, and energy climbing to 334. It'll be bumpy in shape due to the short period, but for a quiet session with no crowds it could be a novelty.

Now here's the real potential. Saturday morning, September 5th, looks very promising. No wind, complete glass, and 2ft SW swell with a proper 17-second groundswell. But check out that energy reading: 487 – strong wave energy for such a small swell height. That means plenty of power in the water, good shape, and long waits between sets. This is a standout for the whole outlook. The Cove should handle that SW swell nicely, and with zero wind it'll be a dreamy morning surf.

Sunday the 6th has a cleaner option again with a light offshore and 4ft WNW swell. Energy remains solid at 353. Not as pristine as Saturday but still very rideable.

But the serious size arrives on Monday, September 7th. The swell jumps to 6ft from the WNW, but that's pushing above the beginner-friendly mark. The wind is a fresh 30 km/h offshore, which will groom the waves, and the energy spike to 760 tells you this is strong. Tuesday the 8th sees the swell peak at 7ft – solidly in expert territory for this break, especially as a beach/jetty setup with period of 10 seconds. The energy hits 1100-plus, so there's a lot of water moving. This is a powerful, sizable swell, but with a cross-shore wind component and that shorter period, it might not be the cleanest. Possibly better for kite surfing than paddling.

Wednesday the 9th sees the swell dropping back to a more manageable 5ft under a clean cross-off breeze. Energy remains solid (561). That would make for a decent last session if you've got the nerve.

Overall, the best of the lot is Saturday morning, September 5th – glassy, powerful groundswell, and clean lines at The Cove. Sunday morning August 30th is a quieter but very clean second pick.

Rusty.

Read more