Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Cottons Point over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water is sitting at 71°F right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a good 4°F above the average, so you’ll be comfy in a springsuit or even a shorty.

Honestly, the next few days are pretty flat and messy. Wednesday the 15th through to Saturday the 18th have tiny swell, mostly around 1ft to 3ft, and the wind is either cross-on or just light onshore. The wave energy is weak, hanging around 210 to 564. It’s not really worth paddling out for – save your energy.

We start to see a bit of life on Sunday the 19th. The swell bumps up to 5ft in the morning from the SSW with a period of 13 seconds, and the wind is light and offshore. Wave energy jumps to 974 (moderate). It’s still marginal, but that offshore breeze will clean it up. The afternoon gets a little bigger at 5ft from the S, but the wind swings cross-on and it gets a bit choppy. This is the first real window of the outlook, but it’s not a standout.

The real standout is Friday the 24th. That morning we’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the S, period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell – and light offshore wind. The combined energy is a strong 2704, so there’s plenty of punch. By afternoon it’s 7ft from the S with the same 15-second period and still light offshore. That’s a big, clean day. However, at over 7ft, this is expert territory, especially on a reef and point break like Cottons Point. The long period (15 seconds) means it’ll be lining up beautifully down the point, but expect long lulls between sets. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

The day before, Thursday the 23rd, is also worth a mention – 6ft from the S in the afternoon with 13 seconds and light cross-on wind. Wave energy is 1226, so it’s a solid session for strong intermediates.

After that, it drops back down. Saturday the 25th is still 7ft but the wind picks up to a moderate cross-on, making it choppy and less appealing. Sunday the 26th through to the end of the period sees the swell drop to 3ft to 4ft, with mostly light cross-on winds. The wave energy hovers between 448 and 1024 – nothing to write home about. It’s marginal, small, and generally not worth the drive unless you’re desperate.

So, the pick of the fortnight is absolutely Friday the 24th at Cottons Point. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The rest is either too small, too windy, or too average.

Rusty.

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