
Surf Forecasts:
Cox Bay surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, SW swell with 444 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 15s period with SSW 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s is also forecast. 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 0.9m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cox Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks at Cox Bay.
The first half of the outlook is a bit of a slow burn. We’ve got a few days of small, weak swells and onshore wind, so you’re not missing much. Starting Monday, the 10th of August, it’s flat and messy. The water is sitting at 16°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice little bonus when you do get in.
A bit of a clean-up arrives on Thursday morning, the 13th of August. The wind swings cross-offshore from the SSE, and we get a fun little 4ft swell from the WNW. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s a bit of a weak, jumbled windswell, but the clean conditions make it worth a paddle. The combined energy is moderate (299). That afternoon, the wind goes glassy, but the swell drops back to 2ft. Still, a glassy Cox Bay is a beautiful thing.
The real standout window opens up on Sunday morning, the 16th of August. The wind is glassy from the south, and we’ve got a 3ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period. That’s a long-period swell, so it’ll have some real push and shape, especially at the point. The combined energy is a solid moderate (444). This is the best bet of the first week. Expect clean, lined-up waves, though the long period might make it a bit straight at the beach, so stick to the point.
Monday the 17th of August is another glassy morning, with a similar 3ft SSW swell, 16 seconds. Good energy (422). If you missed Sunday, this is your back-up.
The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. Tuesday the 18th cleans up in the afternoon with a cross-offshore breeze and a 3ft SSW swell (398). Wednesday the 19th is cross-shore and small, but the swell is from the W at 3ft and 11 seconds.
We get a bit more size heading into the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of August, but the wind is onshore and sloppy. Sunday the 23rd afternoon sees a 5ft W swell, but it’s got 20 km/h onshore wind, making it a choppy mess. The energy is strong (773), but the quality is poor. Monday the 24th afternoon pushes up to 6ft from the W, but again, cross-onshore wind and a short period make it a washout for surfing. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Overall, the best surf is on the 16th and 17th of August. Glassy conditions, a clean long-period groundswell, and moderate energy. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and fun. Get out there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | W 7 | SW 18 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
99 | 89 | 121 | 104 | 79 | 129 | 111 | 154 | 266 | 160 | 129 | 206 | 124 | 119 | 109 | 103 | 280 | 209 | 339 | 334 | 397 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | on | on |
High Tide | 12:11PM2.85m | 11:23PM3.55m | 12:56PM3.02m | 00:21AM3.62m | 1:36PM3.18m | 1:15AM3.61m | 2:15PM3.30m | 2:04AM3.53m | 2:51PM3.38m | 2:51AM3.37m | 3:26PM3.41m | 3:37AM3.16m | 4:00PM3.38m | 4:23AM2.92m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:23PM1.57m | 6:26AM0.09m | 6:20PM1.34m | 7:12AM0.00m | 7:12PM1.12m | 7:52AM0.02m | 8:01PM0.94m | 8:30AM0.15m | 8:48PM0.82m | 9:05AM0.37m | 9:34PM0.77m | 9:40AM0.65m | 10:20PM0.79m | ||||||||
6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 8:47 | — | — | 8:46 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | W 5 | W 7 | W 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
24 | 89 | 121 | 104 | 79 | 51 | 107 | 120 | 266 | 160 | 111 | 70 | 86 | 56 | 46 | 71 | 121 | 81 | 339 | 334 | 397 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | W 13 | W 3 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 6 | W 5 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
99 | 30 | 3 | 31 | 18 | 129 | 111 | 154 | 150 | 95 | 129 | 206 | 124 | 119 | 26 | 20 | 280 | 209 | 78 | 76 | 51 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SSW 13 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 11 | W 11 | W 8 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 9 |
33 | 16 | 23 | 98 | 60 | 70 | 53 | 80 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 109 | 103 | 140 | 140 | 27 | 85 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | W 4 | NW 3 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — | NW 6 | NW 5 | — | — | — |
36 | 9 | 2 | — | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 70 | — | 15 | 7 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 343 | 687 | 9 | 1156 | 1424 | 0 | 123 | 1021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1216 | 226 | 17 | 763 | 226 | 0 | 0 | 829 | 9 |
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.











