Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s heading our way.

First up, the water is sitting at 70° – that’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so a bit of a bonus if you’re not wearing a full suit.

We’ve got a long stretch of pretty average conditions to start. The first few days are a write-off, no real surf to speak of. Friday the 17th of July and Saturday the 18th are poor, with a messy cross-onshore wind and tiny, weak swell. It’s not until Sunday the 19th that things start to look a little more interesting, but it’s still marginal. The swell is only 3ft to 3ft out of the SW, with a period around 17 seconds – that long period stuff is good for points and reefs, but the wave energy is still moderate (673) and the wind is light and cross-on, so it’s not clean.

Monday the 20th sees a bit more size, with a 5ft SSW swell, but the period drops to 12 seconds and the wind is onshore in the morning, so it’s messy. The energy is moderate (671) but the quality isn’t there.

The best bet in this whole outlook is shaping up for the second week. From around the 25th of July into the start of August, we’ve got a more consistent run of SW and SSW swells, with heights between 3ft and 5ft. The real standout is Cottons Point (reef and point). The optimum swell direction is SW, and we’re seeing that. On the 25th of July, Saturday afternoon, the swell is 5ft from the SSW, period 13 seconds, and the wind is light and barely cross-on. The combined energy is strong (1114), so there’s some push. The morning of the 27th of July, Monday, looks even better: 4ft from the SSW, 18-second period, offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph. That’s clean, powerful, and perfect for the point. Energy is very strong (1426). The 28th of July, Tuesday morning, also has offshore wind and a 4ft SSW swell with 17-second period – another good one. Just be aware that Cottons Point can get crowded sometimes, so get there early.

A word of caution: by the 31st of July into the 1st of August, the swell picks up to 6ft and 5ft, but the period shortens to 12-14 seconds, and the wind swings cross-on, so it’s messier. That’s more for the experienced crew.

Overall, there’s a decent window of surfable waves from the 25th of July through to the 28th, with the cleanest conditions on the 27th and 28th mornings. It’s not a massive swell, but it’s clean, and that’s what counts.

Rusty.

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