Cox Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Alright, so we’ve got a 16-day window here at Cox Bay. Honestly, the first week is a bit of a struggle. There’s very little wave energy for the first few days, and the winds are mostly cross-on or onshore, keeping things messy. You’ll see a lot of marginal surf and poor conditions right through the first week. It’s not until the second week that things start to look a bit more promising.

The real standout in this whole period is Cox Bay itself. It’s a beach and point setup, exposed to the west, so it picks up the best of the swell. The water here is sitting at about 61°F, which is a touch warmer than what you’d usually expect for this time of year.

Let’s talk about the first decent session. On Thursday morning, 13 August, we’ll see a clean morning with a light cross-offshore breeze. The swell is a small 4ft from the WNW, but the period is short (7 seconds), so it’s not going to have much power. The combined energy is moderate (290). It’s a start, but nothing to get too excited about.

Then we hit a real gap. The next few days are mostly poor with onshore winds and small waves. The next real glimmer of hope comes on Monday morning, 17 August. Again, clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SE. The swell is 3ft from the SSW, but this time the period is a very long 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and it’s bringing moderate energy (444). For a spot like Cox Bay, which is a point and beach mix, that long period will give you some nice, clean lines, though the sets will be spaced out. It’s a good paddle out.

Tuesday morning, 18 August is another clean one. Cross-offshore wind again, light, with 3ft of SSW swell at 14 seconds. The combined energy is up to 491 (moderate). Not big, but clean and rideable. The best part of the whole forecast, though, is Tuesday afternoon, 18 August. The swell is still only 3ft from the SSW, but the energy jumps to 551. It’s a glassy afternoon with a light onshore wind that’s barely there. For a small-wave board, this is your pick of the entire 16 days. Clean, consistent, and you’ll have the place mostly to yourself (crowds are only “sometimes” here).

The following week (from 19 August onwards) gets a bit more wind-affected and the swell mixes up with shorter periods. There’s a bit more size on Wednesday morning, 19 August – 4ft from the W at 11 seconds – but the wind is onshore, so it’s average. The combined energy is strong (634), but the quality won’t be there. After that, it’s a mix of cross and onshore winds, with nothing really clean until the very end.

On Tuesday, 25 August, we get another clean window. Light rain is moving in, but the wind is cross-offshore from the SE all day. The swell is small (2ft to 2ft) from the SW, with a long 16-second period. The energy is moderate (270-289). It’s a fun little end to the forecast, but it’s not a stand-out.

In short: The first week is mostly a write-off. The best surf is on the mornings of 17 and 18 August, and the absolute best session is Tuesday afternoon, 18 August, with glassy conditions and a clean, long-period groundswell. If you can only pick one, that’s the one.

Rusty.

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