Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m lookin’ at the next 16 days for the one spot we’ve got on the radar: Cottons Point.

First off, the water temp is sittin’ around 67°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year – nothin’ wild there.

The overall pattern for the next two and a half weeks is a bit of a slow burn. We’ve got a long stretch of small, messy swell and cross-onshore breezes that’ll keep things pretty average. Honestly, the first week and a half looks like a write-off for any decent waves. From Thursday the 9th through to about the middle of the week starting the 14th, it’s all knee-high or smaller, choppy, and mostly poor surf conditions. There’s a long run of days with scores that are just not worth paddlin’ out for. The combined energy is weak, mostly sittin’ in the low to mid hundreds – we’re talkin’ 238 to 641 (weak to moderate energy) – and the wind is either cross-on or onshore, just messin’ up what little swell there is. You’ll see a little bump on the 12th and 13th with light onshore winds, but it’s still only about 2ft to 3ft of swell, and the period is short enough that it won’t have any punch. Not your day.

The real standout – and I mean the *only* standout – is the weekend of the 19th and 20th of July. This is where the charts get interestin’. On the 19th, Sunday morning, we’ve got a solid S swell building to about 4ft, but the combined energy jumps to 1658 (strong energy). By Sunday afternoon, it’s pumpin’ up to 6ft from the S, with 2412 energy (strong to very strong). Then Monday the 20th morning, it’s peakin’ around 7ft from the S, with 2177 energy. That’s a proper groundswell with a period of 15 to 17 seconds – that’s long-period energy, so it’ll be powerful and have good shape. However, at 7ft, this is gettin’ into expert territory. Beginners should stay well clear. The wind is light and mostly onshore or cross-on, but with those light breezes, it’ll be clean enough. Because it’s a long-period S swell, Cottons Point, which is a reef and point setup, should handle it well, givin’ you lined-up waves rather than the close-outs you’d get at a beach break. The only downside is the wind is not fully offshore, but it’s light, so it’s still the best window we’ve got.

After that peak, the swell drops quickly through the 21st and 22nd, back to waist-high mush. So, if you’re lookin’ for a window, mark the 19th and 20th of July. That’s your shot. The rest of the forecast is a wait-and-see.

Rusty.

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