
Surf Forecasts:
Cox Bay surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, WNW swell with 512 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with WNW 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. 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 2.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cox Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what's happening at Cox Bay. It's a bit of a mixed bag stretching out, so we'll need to pick our moments.
The first week is a long, frustrating stretch of messy surf. From Wednesday the 5th through the weekend, we've got a steady supply of WNW swell, but the wind is rubbish. It's either cross-onshore or straight onshore, keeping the surface all bumpy and chopped up. The wave energy is moderate for most of it, readings like 287 to 571, but it just doesn't matter because the wind is ruining the surface. Water temp is about normal for this time of year.
The first real bright spot is Sunday the 9th in the morning. The swell drops to 2ft, but it switches to a proper SW groundswell with a 18-second period. That's a long, clean line. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the S at 6 mph, and the wave comment says "clean". The energy is moderate (242). That's a small, pristine, point-break kind of morning. Dead fun for anyone.
Then it goes flat. Monday and Tuesday we're looking at tiny 1ft to 2ft swell from the SSW. The energy is low (202 to 299). A few days of not much to do.
The second week brings a bigger, lumpier pulse. From Wednesday the 12th onward, the swell builds from the WNW. By Thursday the 13th and into Friday the 14th, we're looking at 6ft to 10ft of swell. The energy maxes out at 1112 (strong) on Friday afternoon, but that's with a 12 mph onshore wind making it proper choppy. That's a big, powerful, ugly wave for experts only. The Friday morning of the 14th has a 7ft swell from the W with a light cross breeze, which is the better option in that window, but it's still a battle.
The absolute best of the entire forecast is the final days. Monday the 17th morning is the winner. We've got a 2ft swell from the SSW with a 16-second period, a light cross-offshore wind from the SSE, and the wave comment is "clean". The energy is moderate (414). Then later that afternoon, it goes *glassy*. The wind drops to 0 mph, the wave comment says "glassy", and we've got a 2ft, 15-second SSW swell. That's the one. Get in the water.
Tuesday the 18th morning looks similar: 2ft, 14-second SSW swell, light cross-offshore wind, "clean" conditions. The afternoon is glassy again. Two days of small, clean, beautiful surf.
So, bottom line: the first week is mostly a write-off for quality, except for a tiny, clean session on Sunday the 9th. The second week has a big, messy swell mid-week that's only for the brave. But the real, can't-miss window is the 17th and 18th of August. That's when we get the glassy, clean, small-wave goodness.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | SW 18 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | SW 18 | SW 17 | WNW 6 | SSW 16 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
223 | 212 | 306 | 169 | 162 | 271 | 149 | 139 | 253 | 81 | 122 | 176 | 150 | 145 | 154 | 144 | 89 | 155 | 165 | 372 | 355 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | off | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | glassy |
High Tide | 5:59PM3.26m | 7:08AM2.45m | 6:53PM3.26m | 8:38AM2.41m | 7:59PM3.28m | 10:07AM2.50m | 9:11PM3.34m | 11:18AM2.66m | 10:19PM3.44m | 12:11PM2.85m | 11:23PM3.55m | 12:56PM3.02m | 00:21AM3.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:25AM1.30m | 00:59AM0.87m | 12:16PM1.55m | 2:10AM0.80m | 1:27PM1.76m | 3:24AM0.67m | 2:55PM1.83m | 4:34AM0.47m | 4:17PM1.75m | 5:34AM0.27m | 5:23PM1.57m | 6:26AM0.09m | 6:20PM1.34m | ||||||||
6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | SW 15 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | SSW 13 | WNW 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | SW 17 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 |
223 | 34 | 306 | 169 | 131 | 188 | 108 | 65 | 153 | 62 | 59 | 121 | 40 | 145 | 89 | 36 | 89 | 84 | 104 | 79 | 129 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | W 12 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | W 13 | SW 11 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 13 |
55 | 14 | 69 | 70 | 67 | 69 | 84 | 24 | 84 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 150 | 35 | 122 | 144 | 30 | 19 | 98 | 60 | 46 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | W 13 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | W 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | W 13 | W 12 | SSW 11 | W 12 |
14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 36 | 82 | 50 | 22 | 42 | 67 | 36 | 28 | 36 | 34 | 19 | 30 | 26 | 11 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
— | 212 | — | — | 162 | 271 | 149 | 139 | 253 | 72 | 122 | 176 | — | 21 | 154 | 71 | 82 | 155 | 165 | 372 | 355 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 119 | 201 | 0 | 93 | 226 | 1 | 145 | 825 | 9 | 135 | 1021 | 0 | 0 | 1021 | 0 | 119 | 1021 | 0 | 119 | 1222 |
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.











