Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking over the numbers for the next couple of weeks at Cottons Point. To be honest, the start of this run is a bit of a letdown. We’ve got some solid energy in the water – a decent long-period SSW groundswell (over 15 seconds) – but the wind just won’t play ball. It’s mostly a cross-onshore mess, keeping the surface choppy and frustrating. The water is much warmer than normal for early September at 76°, almost 9° above the usual, which is a wild anomaly.

Thursday 3rd September is a write-off. There’s a 3 ft swell from the SSW (18s period, 534 energy) but with that cross-on breeze, it’s just bumpy and hard to read. We slide through Friday and Saturday with the swell building but the wind staying in that crappy cross-on slot, spiking the energy up to 1217 by Saturday arvo but still leaving it rough.

Now, Sunday 6th September is where it gets interesting. Sunday morning is still a bit messy with 6 ft of S swell, but by the afternoon, the wind swings around to a light NNW cross-offshore. That’s the key. The swell drops just a touch to 6 ft (13s period, 1328 energy). That’s a wave with some grunt, and with those clean conditions, it’s your standout window. It’s not huge, but for an intermediate surfer, that Sunday afternoon session is the pick of the forecast. Just be aware, with a period of 13 seconds, it’s a true groundswell – sets will be a bit more spaced out, but the shape should be good on the reef and point at Cottons. Crowds are always a possibility here, so get on it early.

Monday 7th through Wednesday 9th sees the swell hold around 6 ft to 7 ft but the wind is back cross-on, ruining the quality. By Thursday 10th, we’re dropping down into the 3 ft range, and the wind still isn't helping. For the rest of the second week, from around 11th September onward, it gets really small and weak. We’re looking at 1 ft to 3 ft swells with energy dropping to around 200 and 300. The periods get long again (16s-22s) but there's just no power behind them. It's a long, flat spell after that Sunday. There’s a faint glimmer of cleaner wind and a tiny 2 ft SSW swell on the 18th, but it’s too small to get excited about.

So, to sum it up: bite the bullet on the early days if you’re desperate, but your one true standout is Sunday 6th September afternoon. Get out there for the cleanest, most powerful waves of the whole run.

That’s my read. Catchya in the water.

- Rusty

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