Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Cottons Point.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but don’t let that fool you. The first few days are looking pretty average, but the real story here is a solid run of groundswell that builds in the second week. The water is sitting at 70°F right now, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year – you’ll be in boardies or a light spring suit for sure.

Saturday 18th July through to Thursday 24th July is a bit of a grind. Swell is small, around 2ft to 3ft, and while the wind is light and often offshore or light cross-onshore, the wave quality is just not there. The combined energy is weak to moderate (around 445 to 897), and the forecast is calling it marginal or poor. A few sessions might be worth it for a longboard, but don’t get your hopes up.

Then things start to get interesting. From Friday 25th July morning, a proper long-period groundswell arrives. We’re talking 3ft from the SW with a period of 21 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1106 – that’s a real kick. The wind is light offshore, so it’s going to be glassy clean at the point. This is the first standout. The swell direction (SW) is right on the money for the optimum, and that long period means the waves will be well-shaped and powerful, but with longer gaps between sets. Cottons Point is a reef and point setup, so that long period will work a treat.

Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th July keep the momentum going. Swell holds around 3ft to 4ft, periods still in the 18-19 second range, with light offshore winds in the mornings. The energy is strong (961 to 1172). This is a solid window for intermediate surfers.

The best of the bunch, though, is shaping up for Monday 28th July. Morning sees 4ft of SSW groundswell at 17 seconds, with light SW offshore wind. The combined energy hits 1138 – strong. The waves will be clean, lined up, and have plenty of push. The only bummer is that crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so if you can get out early, you’ll be laughing.

By Tuesday 29th July, the wind swings to a cross-onshore SSE, and the quality slips a bit. Still rideable, but not as clean.

The last few days of the month and into August see a bigger pulse of swell, but the wind is a problem. Friday 31st July has 7ft of S swell, but the period drops to 14 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore. That’s heading into big and messy territory – more for experts, and even then, it’s going to be lumpy. Saturday 1st August is similar, with 6ft to 6ft and cross-onshore winds. The energy is very strong (above 1245), but with the wind and shorter period, it’s not going to be a classic Cottons session.

Sunday 2nd August fades out quickly, with the swell dropping to 4ft and the period shortening to 9 seconds. The energy is gone (389), and the wind is light but cross-onshore. Back to the longboard.

So, to sum it up: the best bet is Monday 28th July for the cleanest, most powerful morning session. Friday 25th July is a close second for that glassy, long-period opener. The rest of the first week is a write-off, and the last few days of July are big but messy. Get in the water while it’s clean.

Rusty.

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