Introduction/ TooTall

Long time kayaker, 22 year fishing out La Jolla and still going.  I will be fishing Ocean Cove with my buddy August 10th thru to the 17th.  I'm hoping someone can answer this question for me. 
What is a manageable swell, wave, and wind once you get onto the fishing ground?  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Welcome, TT.

I'm sure somebody who fishes that area regularly will chime in with suggestions on fishable ocean conditions.

I would say there are a lot of personal variables. Do you mean manageable for fishing or kayaking? Do you have a long time experience kayaking inland and this is your first foray offshore, or are you adding fishing to your experience sea kayaking?

I would say wind is the single greatest factor, more than rolling swell. Tight chop is more work and harder to fish. Wind will make you drift too fast or fight to stay uphill. You'll have a harder time keeping your weight on the bottom.  Over about 10mph starts getting in the realm of no fun for me, and when it gets there I usually just surf it in. Not sure where you are exactly but most thermal wind patterns kick up in the afternoon. Pay attention to those cues and heed them. Wind in the wrong direction can be outright dangerous.

If you are newer to being offshore, I would say the buddy is step one and a marine radio is a good addition to that. Play conservative and then expand.

It sounds like you have some experience so your mileage may vary.

Welcome good move checking in at NCKA, Too Tall!  WE got some monsters up in that Ocean Cove area. C'mon guys.

Sounds like you're part of the OG LJ crew.  Which means lots of experience. (I got to fish with The Iceman once!  He watched me lose a YT while using my 20# mooching rod, and said "Never bring a SPORK to a gunfight," as he paddled off.)

I can't speak to that specific Ocean Cove  area, but one of the locals up there gotta chime in with details about good launch spots, good fishing spots, and what swell/wind limits indicate a Go/No Go.

Bushy

Welcome to NCKA TT 

To quote Fishunter:

"WTTM~~  i start with:
Swell size. = 6ft and under is prime. anything over that gets dicey.

Wind swell will make it bumpy = anything below 4ft is doable. If the wind swell is four feet, that usually means it's windy and not good for Yakfishing, but a 2-4ft wind swell is workable.

When you see pics of the ocean and it looks like a lake.The WX is usually something like: 3-4ft swell + 1-2ft windswell. When the wind swell is even or close to the swell size, it usually is crappy.Unless it is under 4 ft.

When the WX says the wind will drop below 5kts overnight, the swell is under 6ft and the windswell is below 3 and dropping, you should be dropping everything important, because it is time to fish the ocean.

another factor up your ways is a: Long Period South Swell. These usually happen in summer&fall. The long period means the swell is thicker, it says this: 4ft swell@16seconds= meaning it takes 16 seconds for the bouy to move up&down within that 4ft of swell, which translates into a THICK &HEAVY WAVE. When the radio calls for this type of swell, it usually comes in sets. Once those major lines of sets pass, it will be a while before another builds up.

There are many other factors, but this is how I plan my attack. Tides will be the next thing to plan for.
 Hope it helped and remember BUDDY UP and
BE SAFE.  "

Also - keep a watch on the surf reports - here is one for the general area:
http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Timber-Cove/forecasts/latest/six_day

If all else fails enjoy the whale watching!  Spent 3 days last September and saw humpbacks two of three with the last day one surfacing about 30 yards from us.  Couldn't decide if we were fishing or whale watching!!!  JK we took home a big ice chest full

Here's a wind/wave/tide/etc. report site that I like.

https://www.windfinder.com/forecast/sonoma_coast_bodega_bay

The site reports past and forecasted weather data based on local weather stations and uses multiple weather models.  In my experience and based on this data I'd be cautious on a kayak when winds are above 8-10mph and/or when swell gets above 6-7ft. To give you a sense, a decent day would be wind below 4-6mph and swell below 4-5ft, the lower the more comfortable, of course.  Geographically, Timber Cove seems to fall between the Sea Ranch and Sonoma Coast/Bodega bay weather stations. Based on the forecast it generally looks like certain days are decent in the AM while the wind/chop picks up in the PM.

Explore the tabs and maps on the site for more detailed weather data.

Windfinder is a cool site. That link is for Bodega Bay which is about 19 miles from Ocean Cove. Timber Cove is under 2 miles away from Ocean Cove. IMO, that 2 mile distance can result in similar conditions. 19 miles away can be totally different.

Many of use several websites to check WX for one fishing/launching site and see if they are similar - if two of three are in agreement, chances are pretty good. Always be ready to say "No-Go" if it's sketchy.