Cox Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on offer for Cox Bay over the next couple of weeks.

It’s a bit of a slow start, but there are a couple of windows worth getting excited about if you’re patient. The first few days are pretty marginal. Sunday the 26th has some clean conditions with that offshore wind in the afternoon, but the swell is small, around 3 ft from the SW with a very long 21-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and combined wave energy is moderate (850). The water is sitting at 60° – that’s about average for the time of year. Monday the 27th afternoon looks similar: clean offshore wind, 3 ft from the SW with 18-second period, moderate energy (607). It’s okay, but nothing to write home about.

We hit a rough patch from Tuesday the 28th right through to the end of July and into early August. Onshore winds, small, weak swell, and generally poor conditions. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell periods drop off. The morning of Friday the 31st July is a glimmer of hope with glassy conditions and 3 ft from the SSW, 15-second period, and moderate energy (630), but it’s a one-off before the wind turns against us again.

The first week of August is pretty grim. The swell starts to pick up a bit around the 4th and 5th, but it’s all windswell with short periods (6-8 seconds) and onshore winds. The combined energy gets moderate to strong (up to 637), but the quality is poor. This setup at Cox Bay, being a beach and point, looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during this stretch.

Now, the real standout is a long way off, but it’s a cracker. On the morning of Saturday the 8th of August, conditions look prime. You’ve got glassy conditions with almost no wind, a solid 8 ft swell from the WNW, but the period is short at 8 seconds. That’s a lot of water moving, and with strong wave energy (1020), this is only for experienced surfers. The wind is glassy, which is a massive positive, meaning the waves will be clean. If you’re an expert, this is your window. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 10 ft, but the wind turns onshore, so stick to the morning.

Sunday the 9th has another 10 ft pulse in the afternoon, but again, onshore wind and choppy conditions ruin it. The morning of the 9th is a smaller 6 ft with a light onshore wind, which is still marginal.

So, to sum it up: the next week is mostly a washout for quality surf. If you’re an experienced surfer, circle the morning of Saturday the 8th of August on your calendar. That’s the best on offer, but keep in mind it’s a long-range call, so don’t bet the farm on it just yet.

Rusty.

Read more