Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks. Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – this next couple of weeks is a tough one for us here at Cottons Point. We’ve got a consistent, long-period groundswell from the SSW pushing through, but the wind just won’t play ball. It’s cross-on most of the time, and that’s just ruining what could be some decent lines. The water is a balmy 75°, which is way warmer than normal for this time of year, a real anomaly that’s 8° above average.

We kick off Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th with a clean-looking swell of 3ft to 3ft, coming from the SSW. The period is a long 15 to 17 seconds, which means there’s plenty of energy in the water. The combined energy readings are sitting in the moderate range (432 on Saturday morning, 339 on Sunday), so there’s some push. But the wind is from the W and WSW at 6-9 mph, right onshore or cross-on, just making a mess of it. The wave comment is "poor surf conditions" for a reason. It’s a frustrating start.

Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are much the same. The swell drops a little to 2ft-3ft, but we finally get a bit of a break on Monday afternoon with the wind turning straight onshore from the SW at 6 mph. On Tuesday we get some light onshore winds from the SSW. Even then, the wave quality is still graded as "poor" or "marginal." The swell direction is SSW, which is what you want here, but the wind is the enemy.

The middle of the week, from Wednesday the 12th through to Friday the 14th, is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell stays around 2ft to 3ft, with periods of 16-18 seconds. The combined energy picks up, especially on Friday the 14th, hitting 594 in the morning and 700 in the afternoon – that’s solid energy for this spot. But again, the wind is from the W and WSW, mostly cross-on, with a few brief moments of onshore flow. The afternoon of Wednesday the 12th is particularly poor with a moderate 9 mph onshore breeze. The wave comment lingers on "poor surf conditions" or "marginal." It’s a real shame because the energy is there.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees the biggest swell of the forecast period. Saturday the 15th has a 4ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 731. Sunday the 16th is similar with a 4ft SW swell and 681 energy. These are the best-sized waves we’ll see, but the wind is still cross-on from the W and WNW. It’s going to be choppy and messy. For a point and reef setup like ours, the long period should be giving us some nice lined-up waves, but the wind is just going to tear them apart. It’s more of a challenge than a treat.

The second week, from Monday the 17th onwards, the swell drops back to 2ft to 3ft, and the energy levels drop off a cliff, hitting the low 200s by the 21st. The wind lightens up, often onshore from the SSW or WSW. We get a few "marginal" windows in the afternoons, like Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th, where the wind is light, but the swell is small and weak. It’s a real grind.

So, what’s the standout? Honestly, there isn’t a clear winner. The biggest surf is on the 15th and 16th, but it’s too messy. The best chance for a clean wave might be a pick of the litter on the 20th or 21st, when the swell is small but the wind is light onshore. It’s a day for a longboard, if you can find a shoulder. We’re looking at a 16-day stretch with no real quality. It’s a long wait.

Rusty.

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