Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s heading our way for Cottons Point over the next couple of weeks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough start. We’re looking at a real dry spell kicking things off. The first few days are pretty much a write-off. Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd are showing poor surf conditions with a messy cross-onshore breeze and choppy water. The swell is there, around 3ft to 4ft, but it’s just not clean. The water temp is a notable 73°F which is a whopping 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – feels like a bath out there, but the waves are all over the place.

We finally get a glimmer of hope on Thursday the 23rd morning. The wind drops to a light breeze, and the swell holds at 4ft from the S, with a period of 13 seconds. It’s still only a marginal call, with a cross-on wind, but it's the first time the surf looks even remotely rideable. The energy is moderate at 618. The afternoon stays marginal, but the morning is your best early bet.

Things start to look a bit more interesting towards the end of the week. Friday the 24th morning has a very long period groundswell of 24 seconds, and the swell is 2ft from the SW. The combined energy is strong at 869. That super long period is a classic sign of quality, but it’s small and the wind is still cross-on. It’s a tease. Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are similar – marginal, with light winds and a building swell from the SW.

Now, here’s where it gets a little more promising. From Monday the 27th through Tuesday the 28th, the swell picks up to 4ft - 4ft from the SSW, with a solid 17-18 second period. The combined energy is strong, hitting over 1000. The wind is light and cross-on, keeping it a bit bumpy, but the potential is there. Tuesday afternoon (28th July) is the first session that gets a whisper of a better score, with the wind going onshore and light.

The real standout, if you can wait, is looking like Friday the 31st of July. We’ve got a solid 6ft of S swell, with a 15-second period. The energy is very strong at 1225. The wind is a gentle cross-on, so it won’t be glassy, but it’ll be cleaner than the choppy stuff earlier. That’s a proper swell, but remember, over 5ft it starts to get a bit much for beginners. It’s a call for the experienced crew.

After that, the swell drops off fast. Saturday the 1st of August is still 5ft but with a shorter period, and then from Sunday the 2nd onwards, we’re back into tiny, weak surf with poor conditions. The last week of the forecast is a real dud, with swell dropping to 1ft and energy fading to weak levels. It’s a classic case of a slow start, a mid-period window, and then a long flat run.

So, for the best on offer, I’d be looking at Tuesday the 28th afternoon for a decent chance, and the standout is Friday the 31st of July for the biggest, most powerful swell of the run. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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