Cocoa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. I’ve given the Cocoa forecast a good once-over, and honestly, it’s a pretty flat and frustrating run. The first week and a half is mostly a bust – small, weak, short-period windswell and cross-off winds keeping things messy. It’s not until the second week that we see some size, but even then, the quality is just barely there.

Let’s go through it. Starting Sunday the 2nd of August, we’ve got a small 5ft swell from the east with a weak 7-second period and combined energy of 248 (moderate). The wind’s cross-off from the east at 25 km/h, so the surface is clean but the waves are poor. That sets the pattern: Monday the 3rd has 5ft at 7 seconds, Tuesday the 4th drops to 4ft, and by Wednesday the 5th we’re down to a tiny 2ft. Thursday the 6th is even smaller at 1ft in the morning, though it bumps to 4ft by the afternoon. The energy stays low, the period never gets above 7 seconds – it’s a total write-off. No good recommendations here.

Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th don’t improve – 4ft east swell at 6 to 7 seconds, cross-off winds. The energy on Saturday afternoon hits 234 (moderate), but it’s still called marginal at best. Sunday the 9th through Tuesday the 11th is more of the same – 3ft to 4ft, short period, poor conditions. There’s a solid 10-day gap with no real surf.

Things finally change from Wednesday the 12th of August. The swell builds – 5ft in the morning up to 6ft by the afternoon, still east at 7 seconds, with combined energy at 283 (moderate). Still just “marginal.” Thursday the 13th is the biggest day – 8ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon from the east, period bumping to 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 674 (strong) in the morning and 874 (strong) in the afternoon – that’s some serious power. But the wind is a cross-off from the east at 30 km/h – a fresh breeze. At over 8ft, this is strictly for experts. The water temp is a warm 83°F, and with an anomaly of just 0.4°F, that’s about average for the time of year at Cocoa.

Friday the 14th drops to 7ft in the morning, 7ft in the afternoon, with a fresh cross-off breeze at 30-35 km/h. The energy stays strong (607 and 482), but the waves are poor. Saturday the 15th holds at 6ft and 5ft, Sunday the 16th at 5ft and 6ft, and Monday the 17th at 6ft and 6ft. All east swell at 7-8 seconds, with cross-off winds keeping the surface clean but quality poor or marginal. Nothing gets above a score of 1 out of 10 across the whole forecast.

So, the best bet is Thursday the 13th of August if you’re an expert looking for size – that 8ft east swell with 8-second period and strong energy (874) is the biggest of the run. But with strong cross-off winds and marginal quality, it’s a long shot. For the average surfer, it’s a frustrating period of small, weak, short-period waves. The break, Cocoa, is a consistent reef exposed to the east, but it gets optimum swell from the north – so this east swell isn’t ideal. Crowds can sometimes be an issue, so keep that in mind.

For most of this stretch, with the size, poor quality, and strong winds, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. A tough outlook, but forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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