Cox Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what Cox Bay is serving up over the next couple of weeks. It’s a mixed forecast, with some real gems hidden in the middle, but you’ve got to time it right. The swell energy runs from weak to full-on heavy, and then settles back into a mellow finish. Water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year.

Friday the 28th of August and Saturday the 29th are a write-off – tiny and messy. Don’t even bother.

Sunday the 30th of August is where it lights up. We’ve got a clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a very long 17 second period, and light cross-offshore winds from the SE. The combined energy is a solid 526, which gives the waves a nice push. This long-period groundswell will run best on the point section of Cox Bay. This is the first standout of the forecast – clean, lined-up, and full of potential.

Monday the 31st of August keeps the quality high. The morning offers a clean 3ft SSW swell (16 second period) under light cross-off winds. By the afternoon, it goes glassy with a 3ft SSW groundswell (15 seconds) and energy at 454. That’s a perfect arvo session, though remember those long-period lulls between sets. Super consistent and clean.

Tuesday the 1st of September: the morning is still clean with 2ft SSW swell, but the wind gets messier in the afternoon. Get in early.

Then it gets serious. Wednesday the 2nd of September sees the swell jump to 7ft from the West with 11 second period, and the combined energy blasts up to 1087. That’s expert territory, too big for beginners. The strong cross-offshore wind at 15 mph will groom it, but this is a powerful, serious wave. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The heavy conditions stick around through Thursday the 3rd.

We get a nice clean-up from Friday the 4th of September, with 3ft to 2ft SSW swells. The absolute highlight is Saturday the 5th of September morning: glassy, a 3ft SSW groundswell with a 17 second period, and energy of 514. That is a morning for the log or a single-fin at the point. After that, the wind crosses up a bit.

The second week is smaller and mellower, with clean 2ft to 2ft SSW swells, ideal for longboards and learners. Thursday the 10th of September throws in a curveball: glassy conditions but a punchy 6ft short-period windswell (7 seconds) from the WNW, with energy at 527. It’ll be raw and a bit lumpy, but if you’re looking for power, here it is.

We finish the forecast on a high note with Friday the 11th of September offering a glassy 5ft WNW swell with 10 second period in the afternoon, and Saturday the 12th of September with small clean glassy 2ft SW swell. A solid, fun way to close out the period.

The real standouts are Sunday the 30th of August morning, Monday the 31st of August afternoon, and Saturday the 5th of September morning. That’s where you want to be at Cox Bay. Crowds can turn up here sometimes, so get down early.

Rusty.

Read more