Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks at Cottons Point.

It’s a slow start, no doubt. We’ve got a run of pretty weak, small, and messy surf from Monday the 31st of August right through the first week of September. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the swell is just a knee-high bump most days, with the energy sitting in the moderate range. Not much to get excited about. The period is long, sometimes over 15 seconds, so there’s some groundswell character, but the size is just too small to make it worthwhile. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

There’s a bit of a lift on Saturday the 5th of September. Swell picks up to 3ft to 4ft from the SSW-S, with a solid 14-second period, and the energy jumps. The wind is light onshore to cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect, but it’s the best of a pretty average week. Still, I’d call it marginal.

Now, the standout is shaping up for Sunday the 6th of September. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. We’re looking at a solid 8ft of SSW swell, with a 15-second period, and the energy is pumping hard. What makes it special is the wind: a light to moderate cross-offshore breeze from the NNE, which should keep things clean. The water temp is still about average for the time of year. Cottons Point is a reef and point, so it’s well-suited to handle that long-period groundswell. This is a proper swell, definitely one for experienced surfers—over 5ft can be too much for beginners, and at 8ft, it’s in the expert zone. The point break setup should handle the long period better than a beach break would. Keep in mind the crowds are possible here, as it’s a consistent spot.

Monday the 7th is a bit of a write-off. The swell is still big at 8ft, but the wind goes nasty—strong cross-shore from the SSE at 28 mph. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The energy is still very high, but it’s just not going to be clean.

After that, the swell drops back down fast. Tuesday the 8th sees 6ft dropping to 5ft, but the wind is cross-onshore, and the period shortens to 8-10 seconds, so it’s choppy and messy. The rest of the second week is a return to small, weak, and cross-onshore conditions. The swell is mostly 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is never on your side. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations after the 7th, so once that Sunday pulse is gone, it’s back to flat and frustrated.

Bottom line: if you’re keen, get out there on Sunday the 6th of September. That’s the only real highlight in the whole 16-day window. The rest is for the die-hards or the kite crew.

Rusty.

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