Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – we’ve got a real dry spell ahead at Cottons Point. The next two and a half weeks are mostly a write-off, with only a couple of flashes of hope. The swell’s going to be small and mostly messy, and the wind’s not doing us many favours. But let’s walk through it day by day.

The first real surf window is Monday, July 6th, but it’s a tough one. We’ve got a 3ft SSW swell rolling in with a very long 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell, which at a reef-and-point setup like Cottons Point means it could wrap in nicely, but the wind is cross-onshore and light at 6 mph, so expect a bit of texture on the surface. The water’s sitting at 68°, which is about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – not bad for a winter dip. The combined swell energy is moderate at 528, but the wave comment says “marginal,” so don’t expect anything special. Tuesday and Wednesday don’t improve much – the swell nudges up to about 4ft, still from the SSW, with periods around 16 to 18 seconds, but the wind stays cross-onshore and the conditions are lukewarm at best. The energy ticks up to 837 on Tuesday morning, but the surf quality is still poor or marginal.

Honestly, the first week is a grind. Thursday and Friday see the swell drop back to 3ft to 3ft, with stronger cross-onshore winds up to 12 mph, making it choppy and pretty ordinary. The energy drops to around 424, which is weak wave energy. The weekend of July 11th and 12th is flat and uninspiring – the swell stays at 3ft to 3ft, and the wind finally turns offshore on Sunday morning, but the period drops to 14 seconds and the surf is still poor. A small glimmer on Sunday afternoon as wind swings light onshore at just 3 mph, but it’s still marginal.

We hit a real dead zone from Monday, July 13th all the way through to Friday, July 17th. Swell sizes tumble to 1ft to 2ft, and the energy drops to 169–339, barely a ripple. The wind stays cross-onshore with some light offshore moments, but you’d be fighting for anything rideable. That’s about a five-day gap where I really can’t recommend paddling out.

Now, here’s the standout – and it’s a long way off, so keep it in the back of your mind. Sunday, July 19th, late in the second week, we finally see a pulse of proper energy. The morning brings a 4ft S swell with a period of 14 seconds and light offshore wind from the SW at 6 mph. The combined swell energy jumps to 1066, which is strong wave energy. The afternoon steps it up to 5ft from the S, period still 13 seconds, wind stays light offshore, and the energy cranks to 1075. This is easily the best on offer in the entire 16-day window. That S swell direction matches the optimum direction for Cottons Point (SW) reasonably well, and the light offshore wind will keep it clean. It’s still a bit marginal according to the comments, but for this spell, it’s the clear highlight. Keep in mind, it’s over a week away, so it’s promising but not locked in.

After that, the last couple of days, July 20th and 21st, drop back to 2ft to 3ft with light offshore or cross-onshore wind. The energy falls to 387–436. Nothing to get excited about.

So, the takeaway: we’ve got a lot of quiet, marginal days ahead. If you’re keen, pencil in Sunday, July 19th – that’s your best shot at something halfway decent. For the rest, it’s a waiting game. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a lean run.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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