Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down.

We’re looking at a run of iffy conditions at Cottons Point this week. The swell is mostly in the 3ft to 3ft range early on, coming from the SSW or SW with a solid period of 14-18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, which is great for a reef and point setup like this. The problem is the wind. For the first few days, we’ve got a light breeze straight out of the SW, which is onshore here. That’s making for poor surf conditions. Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th are a write-off – the waves are there but the wind is junking them up. The combined energy is moderate, around 445 to 870 (moderate), but it’s wasted.

The wind lightens up a bit from Monday the 20th, but it’s still cross-onshore, leaving the waves choppy. Monday and Tuesday are marginal at best – you might get a few, but it’s not worth rushing out. The swell height stays around 3ft, and the period drops to 15-16 seconds, still decent but the quality is off.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Things start to clean up from Thursday the 24th morning. The wind turns onshore but light, from the SSW, and the swell bumps up to 5ft from the S with a 13-second period. The combined energy jumps to a strong 1292 (strong). That’s a solid step up. Friday the 24th afternoon and into Saturday the 25th look even better: swell hits 5ft from the SSW, period 13-14 seconds, and the wind stays light and onshore, keeping the surface clean. The energy is very strong, hitting 1469 and 1529 (strong to very strong). This is the pick of the bunch. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th hold onto that size, around 4ft to 5ft, with the period stretching back to 18-19 seconds. That’s long-period groundswell again, which will wrap nicely into the point. The wind is light and onshore, so the surface should be glassy. The energy is strong, peaking at 1659 (very strong). This is the standout window.

From Tuesday the 28th, the wind starts to shift cross-onshore again, and the quality drops. There’s still swell, with the energy sitting around 1559 to 1681, but the gentle cross-onshore breeze will make it choppy. The swell stays around 5ft to 5ft through to Wednesday the 29th, but the wind is a problem. After that, it fades. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st see the swell drop back to 4ft and 3ft, and the energy falls to moderate levels. The weekend of the 1st of August is a dud – small, weak, and poor conditions.

So, the best surf on offer is the clean, strong swell from Saturday the 25th through to Monday the 27th. That’s the pick. The 5ft SSW swell with light, onshore wind and very strong energy will produce some nice, long lines at the point. It’s a consistent spot, and while it can get crowded, the quality will be worth it. For anyone who’s keen, that’s your window.

Rusty

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