Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for your part of the coast. Let’s just get it out there: this is a rough patch. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak waves ahead, and the first decent surf is a long way off. There’s a brief window of something rideable right at the start, but it’s not going to win any awards.

The first bit of action comes Wednesday, July 29th. The morning is a bit of a write-off – only 4ft of swell from the SSW, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s going to be messy. The afternoon picks up a touch, with the swell nudging up to 4ft from the SSW, period a very long 16 seconds, and the energy is moderate (1017). That long period means the waves will have some shape and power, but at a reef and point like Cottons Point, it should be manageable for an intermediate. The wind swings onshore though, so it’s not pristine. The water temp is about average for the time of year, no major anomalies.

Thursday, July 30th, the swell drops a bit to 3ft in the morning, but the long period (15 seconds) keeps things interesting. Light cross-onshore wind again. The afternoon sees a bump to 5ft from the S with a period of 14 seconds, but the energy is moderate (880) and the wind stays cross-onshore. It’s still marginal.

By Friday, July 31st, the swell holds around 4–5ft, but the period drops to 13 seconds, and the energy is fading (595–769). The wind remains a light cross-onshore. It’s just not coming together for a proper session.

Then, from Saturday, August 1st, everything falls off a cliff. The swell drops to 2ft–2ft, and the combined energy readings are weak (between 154 and 250). The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf is consistently poor. It’s not just a day or two – this flat spell runs solidly from Saturday morning all the way through to Thursday, August 13th. That’s almost two weeks of barely a ripple. The highest energy in that stretch is a measly 426 on the 12th, but even then, the swell is only 3ft and the wind is onshore. It’s bleak.

The one bright spot in the total darkness is that the long period (19–20 seconds) makes a few appearances deep in the second week, like on Friday, August 7th and Monday, August 10th, but the swell is tiny (1ft–2ft) and the wind isn’t helping. It’s like a big engine with no fuel.

So, to be honest, there’s no standout day here. If I had to pick the best on offer, it would be the Wednesday afternoon, July 29th. The 4ft, 16-second SSW swell with moderate energy (1017) is the biggest and most powerful wave in the whole 16-day window. The wind is onshore, but the long period should give you a few clean lines at Cottons Point. It’s not great, but it’s the best of a bad lot.

For the rest of the forecast, you’re looking at knee-high slop and onshore breeze. The whole area is flat. Sometimes it’s just like that. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be finding something else to do for the next two weeks.

Rusty.

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