Surf Forecasts:
Cox Bay surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, W swell with 1,265 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cox Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Cox Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cox Bay in the next 16 days are 2.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cox Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what Cox Bay is serving up over the next couple of weeks. It’s a mixed forecast, with some real gems hidden in the middle, but you’ve got to time it right. The swell energy runs from weak to full-on heavy, and then settles back into a mellow finish. Water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year.
Friday the 28th of August and Saturday the 29th are a write-off – tiny and messy. Don’t even bother.
Sunday the 30th of August is where it lights up. We’ve got a clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a very long 17 second period, and light cross-offshore winds from the SE. The combined energy is a solid 526, which gives the waves a nice push. This long-period groundswell will run best on the point section of Cox Bay. This is the first standout of the forecast – clean, lined-up, and full of potential.
Monday the 31st of August keeps the quality high. The morning offers a clean 3ft SSW swell (16 second period) under light cross-off winds. By the afternoon, it goes glassy with a 3ft SSW groundswell (15 seconds) and energy at 454. That’s a perfect arvo session, though remember those long-period lulls between sets. Super consistent and clean.
Tuesday the 1st of September: the morning is still clean with 2ft SSW swell, but the wind gets messier in the afternoon. Get in early.
Then it gets serious. Wednesday the 2nd of September sees the swell jump to 7ft from the West with 11 second period, and the combined energy blasts up to 1087. That’s expert territory, too big for beginners. The strong cross-offshore wind at 15 mph will groom it, but this is a powerful, serious wave. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The heavy conditions stick around through Thursday the 3rd.
We get a nice clean-up from Friday the 4th of September, with 3ft to 2ft SSW swells. The absolute highlight is Saturday the 5th of September morning: glassy, a 3ft SSW groundswell with a 17 second period, and energy of 514. That is a morning for the log or a single-fin at the point. After that, the wind crosses up a bit.
The second week is smaller and mellower, with clean 2ft to 2ft SSW swells, ideal for longboards and learners. Thursday the 10th of September throws in a curveball: glassy conditions but a punchy 6ft short-period windswell (7 seconds) from the WNW, with energy at 527. It’ll be raw and a bit lumpy, but if you’re looking for power, here it is.
We finish the forecast on a high note with Friday the 11th of September offering a glassy 5ft WNW swell with 10 second period in the afternoon, and Saturday the 12th of September with small clean glassy 2ft SW swell. A solid, fun way to close out the period.
The real standouts are Sunday the 30th of August morning, Monday the 31st of August afternoon, and Saturday the 5th of September morning. That’s where you want to be at Cox Bay. Crowds can turn up here sometimes, so get down early.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 51mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
139 | 103 | 175 | 255 | 211 | 273 | 424 | 326 | 402 | 306 | 272 | 272 | 183 | 168 | 998 | 1212 | 1137 | 720 | 384 | 319 | 284 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 1:55PM3.14m | 1:48AM3.25m | 2:23PM3.25m | 2:28AM3.20m | 2:52PM3.34m | 3:10AM3.10m | 3:23PM3.40m | 3:55AM2.96m | 3:57PM3.43m | 4:46AM2.79m | 4:36PM3.39m | 5:46AM2.62m | 5:23PM3.32m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:47PM0.99m | 8:05AM0.52m | 8:25PM0.83m | 8:34AM0.63m | 9:05PM0.70m | 9:04AM0.81m | 9:48PM0.64m | 9:37AM1.03m | 10:35PM0.64m | 10:15AM1.29m | 11:30PM0.70m | 10:59AM1.54m | 00:36AM0.77m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 8:14 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:01 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 26 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | W 6 | SSW 16 | W 7 | SSW 18 | WNW 7 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | SSW 13 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
103 | 15 | 175 | 131 | 211 | 152 | 424 | 326 | 157 | 180 | 184 | 203 | 157 | 145 | 118 | 1212 | 1137 | 720 | 384 | 319 | 279 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | SW 14 | W 5 | SSW 17 | SW 13 | SSW 18 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 |
139 | 103 | 19 | 255 | 44 | 273 | 62 | 44 | 402 | 306 | 272 | 272 | 183 | 168 | 51 | 116 | 98 | 171 | 95 | 133 | 284 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | SW 5 | WSW 10 | SW 13 | S 12 | SW 13 | WSW 11 | W 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
8 | 7 | 33 | 88 | 11 | 56 | 40 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 37 | 37 | 51 | 50 | 111 | 65 | 57 | 57 | 59 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
35 | — | — | — | 186 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 998 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 825 | 93 | 0 | 119 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 0 | 93 | 135 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Vancouver Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Cox Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cox Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cox Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cox Bay surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Cox Bay) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Cox Bay may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Cox Bay is 77 km (48 miles) from Gold River. If you plan a holiday in Vancouver Island, look for hotels and other accommodation in Gold River. Gold River has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











