Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the outlook for Cottons Point. I’ll be straight with you – this stretch of the 16-day window is a tough one for us surfers. The pattern is stubborn, with small, weak swell and mainly onshore winds that just aren’t giving us much to work with. There’s a long gap of no real quality, so let’s walk through it.

We start off on Saturday morning, 1st August. The water is sitting at 75° – that’s a whopping 8° warmer than usual for this time of year, which is very unusual and feels like bathwater. The swell is a tiny 2 ft from the SSW, with a period of 13 seconds, but the combined energy is only 233 (moderate wave energy). The wind is light from the WSW, blowing offshore, but the surf is still poor. The waves just don’t have any push or shape. The afternoon sees a slight bump to 3 ft, but the energy climbs to 387 (moderate), and the forecast is marginal due to tide concerns. Still, not one to get excited about.

Sunday, 2nd August, through to the end of the first week is a real downer. Swell drops to 2 ft and stays there, with periods bouncing between 13 and 16 seconds. The wind holds offshore from the SW or WSW, light and clean, but the combined energy is weak – sitting between 120 and 194 (weak to moderate). The surf is consistently poor. You’d be out there for the paddle, not the ride.

The second week doesn’t offer much relief. From the 7th of August, we see a slight uptick. On Friday morning, 7th August, the swell is 2 ft from the SSW, but the period jumps to 19 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell, which means long gaps between sets. The energy hits 472 (moderate), and the wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not clean. The break is a reef and point setup, which is good for that long period, but the waves are still poor. The following Saturday morning, 8th August, nudges 3 ft from the SSW with a 17-second period, energy at 430 (moderate), and offshore wind, but still marginal conditions.

The best of what’s on offer, if you can call it that, comes on the weekend of 15th–16th August. Saturday morning, 15th August, has 3 ft from the SSW, 16-second period, energy at 561 (moderate wave energy), and offshore wind from the SSW at 9 mph. That’s the cleanest wind we’ll see, but the surf is still only marginal. It’s a consistent spot, so it’s not totally dead, but this is a stretch for the faithful. The swell direction from the SSW is on the money for the optimum SW, but it’s just too small. By Sunday afternoon, 16th August, the wind picks up from the W at 12 mph, cross-onshore, and the surf gets choppy.

There’s no standout here. The water is weirdly warm, the swell is weak, and the quality is poor to marginal across the board. Honestly, if you’re desperate for a paddle, the early weekend of the 15th might be your best bet, but keep expectations low. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change, so keep an eye out.

Rusty.

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