Westport-The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for the Westport area is a tough one to get excited about. For the most part, we’re looking at small, short-period swell getting chopped up by cross-onshore winds. The first week is especially grim, with only a couple of brief windows where it’s even worth paddling out, and even then, it’s pretty ordinary.

The run starts on Friday the 7th of August with a clean-ish morning at Westport-The Cove (Westport). We’ve got a 3ft WNW swell at 7 seconds, light cross-offshore wind, and the water is sitting at 62°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. The energy is weak (148), but it’s rideable. That’s the highlight for the next few days, and honestly, it’s not saying much. By the afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it gets messy real quick.

From Saturday the 8th through to Wednesday the 12th, it’s a write-off. The swell drops to 1ft, the period is all over the place, and the wind stays cross-onshore. You’re looking at a solid five-day gap with nothing worth your time. It’s frustrating, but it happens.

Then on Thursday the 13th of August, things perk up slightly. The morning brings a glassy 4ft WNW swell at 7 seconds at The Cove. The energy is moderate (264), and with that light offshore wind, it’s the cleanest surf we’ve seen. Still pretty small, but it’s a proper grovel. The afternoon goes onshore again, so get out early.

Friday the 14th has a similar story—a 4ft WNW swell at 8 seconds in the morning with light cross-shore wind. It’s marginal, but it’s surfable. The energy is moderate (292). After that, we drop back into the doldrums for the rest of the week into the 17th. More small swell, more cross-onshore wind, more frustration.

Now, looking further out, there is something on the horizon. Around Tuesday the 18th of August, the swell starts to build. The morning shows a 5ft WNW groundswell with a 13-second period, and the energy jumps right up to strong (947). The wind is still cross-onshore, and it’s rated as marginal, but this is the most powerful swell of the whole period. The afternoon gets bigger at 6ft, but the wind is stronger and it’s choppy. Wednesday the 19th keeps the size up at 5ft with an 11-second period and moderate energy (654), but again, the cross-onshore wind is going to mess with the surface. This is a long-range call, so don’t book the trip yet, but there’s finally some proper groundswell coming. It’s just a shame the wind gods aren’t playing along. For the experts, this could be worth a look, but for the rest of us, it’s going to be a battle.

The end of the window, the 20th through 22nd, fades back to 3-4ft with moderate energy. It’s not terrible, but it’s not good either. Most of these days are just average, poor surf.

So, the honest truth is, there are only a couple of standout moments in this whole 16-day outlook. The glassy Thursday the 13th morning is one, and the bigger groundswell on Tuesday the 18th is the other, but it’s compromised by wind. If you’re a beginner, steer clear of the bigger stuff on the 18th and 19th—it gets over 5ft, which is getting too serious. For the most part, this is a stretch where you might be better off doing maintenance on your board.

Keep the faith, though. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and the forecasts can change. I’ll be watching.

Rusty.

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