Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at our local stretch.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim start. The first real chance of anything worth talking about doesn’t even show until late Saturday afternoon, and even then, we’re looking at marginal conditions. We’ve got a solid week or more of poor surf before we see any glimmer of hope. The water temp is right around average for this time of year, sitting at 67.1°, so nothing wild there.

For the first few days, it’s all cross-onshore breezes messing up what little swell we have. Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are a write-off – small 3.3ft SW swell (475 combined energy) and onshore winds mean choppy, messy waves. We basically get a whole week of these small, windy leftovers.

The first sign of life comes on Sunday the 19th of July, in the afternoon. Cottons Point sees a slight uptick with a 3.0ft SW swell (590 combined energy) and the wind swings onshore but light. It’s still classed as marginal, but it’s the first time the score ticks up to a 2. The swell direction from the SW matches the optimum direction for the point, so there’s a bit of shape potential, but don’t expect perfection.

Moving into Monday the 21st, there’s a bit more energy. The Tuesday morning session on the 21st brings a 3.3ft SSW swell (549 combined energy) with light onshore wind. That’s about as good as it gets for this stretch – marginal but rideable. The period is a solid 16 seconds, so it’s got some push, but that long-period groundswell might be a bit tricky on this point and reef setup; it can break a little too straight. Still, if you’re keen, it’s your best window.

After that, things fade again. The last half of July is mostly small, weak waves with cross-onshore winds. The biggest push comes on Saturday the 25th with a 4.3ft to 4.6ft S swell (combined energy up to 940) – that’s moderate to strong energy, actually. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore breeze, killing the quality. It’s not recommended, and honestly looks more interesting for kite gear than a paddle board.

So, the standout here is slim pickings. If I had to point you to one day, it’d be Tuesday morning, July 21st. That 3.3ft SSW groundswell with light onshore wind and the swell direction right in the zone for the point gives you the cleanest, most lined-up waves of the whole forecast. Crowds are possible, as it’s a consistent spot, so you might have company. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Overall, it’s a frustrating outlook. We’re dealing with a long stretch of poor conditions, and the few windows we get are marginal. Hang in there, but don’t expect much.

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