Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be honest with you – the next couple of weeks at Cottons Point are looking pretty grim. We’re staring down the barrel of a long, flat spell with hardly any proper surf on offer. The water is running at a very warm 73°F, which is a massive 6°F above the norm for this time of year – feels like we’re in a bath out there, not a surf zone.

The forecast starts on Monday, September 7, with a bit of a pulse. We’ve got a 6ft SSW swell rolling in, but it’s short-lived and messy. The wind is a cross-on from the WNW at 6 mph, and the combined energy is moderate at 1089. It’s a bit of a lumpy, cross-onshore mess, and the wave comment says it’s marginal. Honestly, not worth paddling out for. The afternoon gets worse – wind picks up to 16 mph, cross-shore, and the swell drops to 6ft. That’s a chop-fest.

Tuesday, September 8, the swell drops further to 4ft in the morning, still cross-on wind, and the combined energy is down to 537. By afternoon it’s a 3ft dribble with a cross-chop. Not good.

From Wednesday, September 9, through to Sunday, September 13, we’re in a proper slump. Swell heights barely reach 3ft, mostly smaller, with periods all over the shop. The long period swells (16-17 seconds) are rolling in, but they’re tiny – 2ft to 3ft – so they’re just not doing anything. The combined energy drops into the weak 200-400 range. The winds are mostly light cross-onshore, which is at least something, but the surf quality is rated as “poor” or “marginal.” There’s nothing to get excited about.

The next week, from September 14 to September 18, is much the same. Swell stays small, mostly 1ft to 3ft, with a few longer-period groundswells (18-19 seconds) that are too weak to break properly. The best of a bad bunch is Friday, September 18, in the afternoon – we get a whisper of a glass-off with NW wind at 3 mph, and the swell is 2ft, but it’s a 19-second period. The combined energy is 490. It’s glassy, so it might be clean, but it’s tiny. For a reef and point break like Cottons, a long-period 2ft swell could produce a few fun little lines, but it’s for the longboard or a fish, not a proper session.

The last few days, from September 19 to September 22, we see a slight bump. On Monday, September 21, we get a 4ft SSW swell with a 18-second period and very light offshore winds from the SW in the morning. The combined energy is a moderate 740. This is probably the best of the entire 16-day window. The wind is light and offshore, so the reef at Cottons Point could clean up nicely. But it’s still only 4ft, so it’s not a standout. It’s a “maybe” session for the die-hards.

There are no true standouts here. The forecast is a long, flat run with a few marginal pulses. If you’re desperate, keep an eye on September 21 – that’s your best bet for a clean but small wave. Otherwise, the kites might have more fun with the cross-shore winds on the choppier days, but for paddling, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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