Surf Forecasts:
Cox Bay surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SW swell with 419 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 18s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cox Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's check out the stretch ahead.
Right off the bat, it's flat and quiet. The first few days are a bust with tiny, weak swell. Things don't start to feel like you could get a wave until Tuesday the 25th, and even then it's small but clean.
The real standout is the morning of Sunday, August 30th. There's a clean 3ft swell from the SW, with a nice long period of 17 seconds, and the wind is glassy. The water is sittin' around 60°, which is about normal for the season. The energy is moderate, and the whole setup is glassy – that's a morning you wake up early for. It's a beginner-friendly wave, so grab the longboard.
The other one to mark on the calendar is the morning of Saturday, September 6th. That's a different story. The swell jumps to 8ft from the W, with a period of 12 seconds. The energy is strong, and it's glassy in the morning. This is for experts only. It's a powerful, serious wave that will test you, but for the experienced crew, it's got the makings of the best session of the whole outlook.
For the rest of the time, the afternoons get chopped up by onshore wind. The mornings are the window, but the waves are small and inconsistent. There's a solid week of small, clean conditions from the 25th to the 30th, so plenty of time to get wet, just don't expect anything overhead.
So, to wrap it up: the 30th of August is the pick for the everyday surfer, and the 6th of September is the one for the big-wave heroes. The rest is small and clean but not much to write home about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon night, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | W 8 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 19 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
67 | 65 | 129 | 114 | 203 | 252 | 102 | 147 | 264 | 163 | 125 | 159 | 122 | 112 | 104 | 139 | 103 | 264 | 252 | 207 | 273 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:20AM2.52m | 10:13PM2.96m | 11:58AM2.66m | 11:04PM3.06m | 12:29PM2.79m | 11:49PM3.16m | 12:59PM2.91m | 00:30AM3.23m | 1:27PM3.03m | 1:08AM3.26m | 1:55PM3.14m | 1:48AM3.25m | 2:23PM3.25m | 2:28AM3.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:22PM1.87m | 5:22AM0.79m | 5:12PM1.73m | 6:02AM0.66m | 5:53PM1.57m | 6:36AM0.55m | 6:31PM1.38m | 7:08AM0.48m | 7:09PM1.18m | 7:37AM0.47m | 7:47PM0.99m | 8:05AM0.52m | 8:25PM0.83m | ||||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:12 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | SW 18 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | SSW 6 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 16 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 |
45 | 60 | 41 | 26 | 203 | 79 | 63 | 51 | 43 | 163 | 125 | 78 | 52 | 39 | 22 | 29 | 103 | 264 | 54 | 33 | 54 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | WSW 7 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 |
67 | 65 | 129 | 114 | 29 | 252 | 77 | 147 | 264 | 28 | 57 | 159 | 122 | 95 | 104 | 104 | 35 | 34 | 252 | 207 | 273 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | WSW 16 | S 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | W 7 | SSW 19 | SSW 5 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
10 | 6 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 65 | 102 | 100 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 55 | 42 | 112 | 26 | 139 | 5 | 27 | 88 | 44 | 56 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | — | SE 2 | — | SE 3 | SE 4 | — | SSE 5 | — | — | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 66 | 42 | — | 1 | — | 4 | 16 | — | 7 | — | — | — | 50 | 81 | 87 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 749 | 1 | 119 | 145 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 93 | 0 | 0 | 687 | 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.











