
Surf Forecasts:
Cox Bay surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 19s period, SW swell with 846 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 21s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 21s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cox Bay in the next 16 days are 1.1m 19s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) 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 1.0m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 21s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 19s |
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 coming up for us.
The surf window kicks off this Sunday, the 26th of July, and we’ve got a real mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The first few days offer some clean, rideable waves, but then we hit a long, choppy patch that’s basically a write-off for paddle surfing until we get a little glimmer of hope the second weekend of August.
We start out at Cox Bay. Sunday morning it’s a bit rough with a heavy rain and a cross-off wind, but the swell is already there at 0.8m from the SW with a very long period of 21 seconds. The wave energy is moderate (670). By Sunday afternoon, it cleans right up. The wind swings light offshore from the E at just 5 km/h, delivering a clean 1.0m SW groundswell (20 seconds) and the energy jumps up (850). That’s your best bet for the first week – glassy conditions and a long-period line coming in. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
Monday keeps that quality going. Monday morning is a bit cross-off, but Monday afternoon is where it’s at: an offshore ESE breeze at 20 km/h with a 0.9m SW swell, 18-second period, and moderate energy (607). It’s clean and workable. Tuesday and Wednesday get messy with onshore winds and choppy conditions, killing the quality. By Thursday morning, the 30th of July, we get a glassy morning with a 1.0m SSW swell, but the energy is dropping (618). It’s a short window.
Friday the 31st of July offers a nice little morning session. A gentle offshore breeze from the E at 15 km/h, a 0.7m SW swell with a 15-second period, and energy at 417. It’s not big, but it’s clean. Saturday the 1st of August is small and weak, with light cross-onshore winds, not worth getting excited about.
Then we hit a big gap. From Sunday the 2nd of August all the way through to Saturday the 8th of August, it’s poor. The swell gets short-period and choppy, with strong onshore winds from the WNW (20-25 km/h). The waves get up to 1.6m and even 2.2m, but the wind is trashing it. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The energy is all over the place, but the quality is zero.
Finally, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. On Sunday morning, the 9th of August, we get a glassy moment. A 1.4m WNW swell, but period is short at 6 seconds, and energy is low (360). The wind is glassy from the SW, so it’ll be clean, but the wave shape won’t be great. It’s a small, clean option after a long run of junk. Monday morning the 10th offers a 1.3m wave with almost no wind, but again, the period is short and the energy is weak (246). It’s a marginal finish.
Overall, the standout is Sunday afternoon the 26th of July at Cox Bay. That’s your cleanest, best-shaped swell of the whole period. The second best is Monday afternoon the 27th of July. After that, it’s a long wait for a glassy morning on the 9th of August, but it’s a short-period wave, so don’t expect too much.
Keep your head up, the forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 75mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat night, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue night, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
664 | 508 | 746 | 657 | 475 | 522 | 727 | 837 | 326 | 498 | 695 | 629 | 458 | 545 | 452 | 430 | 232 | 287 | 268 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:36PM3.08m | 12:28PM2.64m | 11:22PM3.15m | 1:03PM2.74m | 00:05AM3.22m | 1:35PM2.83m | 00:45AM3.27m | 2:05PM2.90m | 1:23AM3.28m | 2:35PM2.98m | 2:01AM3.26m | 3:04PM3.04m | 2:40AM3.19m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:51AM0.69m | 5:30PM1.79m | 6:32AM0.57m | 6:12PM1.70m | 7:07AM0.47m | 6:50PM1.59m | 7:40AM0.40m | 7:28PM1.47m | 8:10AM0.38m | 8:06PM1.35m | 8:39AM0.40m | 8:46PM1.23m | |||||||
— | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | |
9:12 | — | — | 9:10 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:06 | — | — | 9:04 | |
mm | 22 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 20 | 2 |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 6 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | W 8 | W 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | W 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 |
90 | 508 | 746 | 657 | 475 | 522 | 88 | 184 | 171 | 86 | 169 | 129 | 458 | 545 | 452 | 430 | 54 | 73 | 97 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 21 | WNW 9 | S 6 | S 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
664 | 64 | 40 | 21 | 40 | 39 | 727 | 837 | 326 | 498 | 695 | 629 | 94 | 51 | 38 | 32 | 232 | 287 | 268 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | SSW 13 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | S 10 | SSW 20 | W 9 | S 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 16 | SSW 9 | — |
73 | 98 | 64 | 62 | 56 | 46 | 13 | 8 | 253 | 81 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 131 | 8 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 6 | — | — | S 5 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 77 | — | — | 25 | 32 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 0 | 17 | 123 | 1386 | 1 | 226 | 1387 | 9 | 0 | 1386 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.










