Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but it’s not a total write-off. The first real workable surf shows up on Friday the 25th of July at Cottons Point. This spot is a reef and point setup, so it handles swell well. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild there. The swell is small, around 3 ft from the SSW, but the wind is light and blowing straight onshore. That’s a bit of a downer for face quality, but it’s not strong enough to completely ruin it. The combined swell energy is moderate, sitting at 910. It’s a marginal call, but for a Friday session, you could stretch your legs.

Saturday the 26th is very similar. Swell bumps up slightly to 4 ft from the SW, with a long period of 19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, which means better shaped waves and longer lulls between sets. The wind stays light and cross-onshore in the morning, but turns onshore in the arvo. Energy is still moderate at 978. It’s not clean, but there’s enough there to have a paddle.

Sunday the 27th and Monday the 28th offer the best of the bunch in this first week. On Monday the 28th morning, we’ve got 4 ft of SSW swell with a period of 18 seconds and light onshore wind. The combined energy pushes into the strong range at 1176. The waves will have some punch, and with that long period, the point should line them up nicely. It’s not glassy, but the light onshore keeps it from turning into a washing machine. This is your standout for the first half of the outlook. Tuesday the 29th holds similar size and energy, around 4 ft and 1088 energy, still with light onshore wind.

Then we hit a bit of a flat spell. Wednesday the 30th of July is messy with cross-onshore wind, and the swell drops back. Thursday the 31st is marginal but slightly better with light onshore wind and 4 ft from the S. But the real kicker comes on Friday the 1st of August. The swell jumps to 6 ft from the S, period drops to 14 seconds – shorter period, so more of a windswell blend. Combined energy is strong at 1421. The wind is light cross-onshore in the morning, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. At 6 ft, this is getting too big for beginners, but for intermediates, it’ll be a fun, punchy day if you can handle a bit of chop.

Saturday the 2nd of August holds similar size at 6 ft from the SSW, with light onshore wind and strong energy at 1200. The period is only 13 seconds though, so it’s a bit weaker in shape. After that, things drop off fast. Sunday the 3rd of August sees 4 ft with light onshore, but energy is down to 508. From Monday the 4th of August through to the end of the outlook on Saturday the 9th, it’s all poor surf conditions – tiny swell under 2 ft and flat energy. There’s nothing worth chasing in that second week. A solid few days of small dribble.

So if you’re keen, aim for Monday the 28th of July for the cleanest longer-period groundswell at Cottons Point. Friday the 1st of August is the biggest, but a bit messier. After that, give it a miss until the next forecast.

- Rusty

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