Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the cards for Cottons Point over the next couple of weeks.

First thing to note, the water is running a full 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so it's a seriously warm bath out there.

Honestly, looking at this whole stretch, we’re in for a pretty flat and quiet period. The swell is never big, hanging around that 1ft to 4ft range, and it's almost always coming from a south-west direction. That's not the worst direction for Cottons, which likes a south-west swell, but the real issue is the wind. We get a constant cross-onshore breeze for nearly the whole run. It's light for much of it, but it's just enough to mess up what little wave energy we've got.

Wednesday the 9th is pretty small, with 2ft of swell from the SSW. The energy is moderate but it's crossed-up and small. Not worth paddling out for me.

Thursday the 10th is our first real standout, and it's a marginal call. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SW, with a nice long period of 16-17 seconds, suggesting some proper groundswell lines. The morning is a bit choppy with a 15 km/h S wind, but Thursday afternoon cleans up nicely. The wind drops to a 10 km/h S breeze, leaving light cross-onshore ripples. The energy is moderate but solid. It still won't be perfect, but with that long period and a bit of size, it's the best structured wave of the early period.

From Friday the 11th right through to Tuesday the 16th, it’s a real struggle. Swell stays between 1ft and 3ft, and the wind stays in that onshore or cross-onshore slot. The energy drops off a cliff at times, signalling really weak, gutless surf. Honestly, it's so small and messy that if you have a kite, this might be more your scene than a paddle session.

We get a slight lift towards the end of next week, around Wednesday the 18th through the start of the following week. Swell picks up to 3ft to 4ft from the SW again, with long periods of 17-19 seconds, meaning some real energy in the water (energy is consistently strong). The wind stays light, but frustratingly, it's still mostly a cross-onshore. It'll be a bit lumpy, but there should be some rideable, peeling lines for the intermediate crew. This stretch from Wednesday the 18th to Monday the 22nd is our best bet for something half-decent, especially Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th when the wind is lightest and the swell has a bit of push. The Monday the 21st afternoon session might cop the biggest swell of the run at 4ft.

After that, from Tuesday the 23rd onward, we fade out again into messy, onshore, small conditions.

To put it simply: the best on offer is the long-period groundswell from Thursday the 10th afternoon for a sneaky session, and then that whole stretch from Wednesday the 18th through Sunday the 20th for the most consistent, rideable surf. It's never gonna be epic, but there are windows of clean-enough waves.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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