Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, we’re not getting any real fun waves at Cottons Point for the first few days. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are a write-off – there's a little 2 ft swell, but it's coming from the south and the wind is cross-onshore, making things choppy and messy. The combined wave energy is weak (224 to 300), so it’s basically flat and bumpy. Not worth paddling out.

Saturday the 18th shows a slight lift. Morning still has that cross-onshore wind with a 3 ft swell, but Saturday afternoon the wind swings to a light onshore, and we get a bit more energy up to 541. It's still marginal, but it’s the first real hint of life. By Sunday the 19th, things get more interesting. We see a 6 ft S swell pushing through with a period of 14 seconds – that's got some punch. The wind is light offshore in the morning, which means clean conditions. The combined energy jumps to 1300, so there’s a proper groundswell in the water. This is the standout window: Sunday morning at Cottons Point. The swell is solid (6 ft) but not out of control, and offshore wind will make for clean, lined-up waves. It’s a reef and point setup, so that long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely. It could be a touch big for beginners, but intermediates will have fun. Watch for crowds – it can get busy here sometimes.

From Monday the 20th through Wednesday the 22nd, the swell backs off to around 3 ft to 3 ft. Winds are light, often cross-onshore or offshore, but with energy dropping to the 500-700 range, it’s just marginal. You might find a little cruisey wave, but nothing to get excited about.

Thursday the 23rd sees the swell build again to 5 ft from the south, with a period of 13-14 seconds. The morning is messy with a cross-onshore wind, but Thursday afternoon the wind lightens up, and combined energy hits 1072. Still a bit on the rough side, but it’s building towards the real prize.

And that prize is the weekend – Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th. This is the other big standout. On Friday, we’ve got 6 ft S swell with light offshore wind and a combined energy of 1806. That’s a lot of water moving. The period is 14 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell. Cottons Point will handle that beautifully, but it’s definitely expert territory at over 5 ft. Saturday is similar: 6 ft SSW swell, light cross-onshore in the morning and offshore in the afternoon, with energy peaks at 2044. Big, clean, powerful surf. This is for experienced surfers only. Again, expect it to be popular.

After that, the swell drops a bit Sunday the 26th through the end of the month, with 3 ft to 4 ft waves and mostly light winds, but the energy stays in the 980 to 1300 range. It’ll be cleaner but smaller. The last few days of July and into the 31st see the swell fade to around 3 ft to 3 ft, with light offshore winds again, but the energy drops to below 700. It’ll be a quiet end to the month.

So, to wrap it up: the real gems are Sunday morning, July 19th with clean 6 ft S swell, and Friday, July 24th through Saturday, July 25th for the biggest, most powerful surf of the window. If you're an intermediate, aim for the 19th. Experts, you’ll want the 24th and 25th.

Rusty out.

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