Surf Forecasts:
Cox Bay surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, WNW swell with 1,375 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 15s 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s is also forecast. 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 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cox Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk Cox Bay. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a slow burn, but there’s a couple of days that’ll get your blood pumpin’.
We start Thursday the 27th with real small, long-period groundswell – about 2ft from the SW with a period over 15 seconds, which is very long. The combined energy is weak at 318. It’s clean with a cross-off breeze, but it’s marginal for anything more than a floater. Water temp is a nice 60°F, about average for this time of year.
Friday the 28th is a total washout. Strong onshore wind and the swell even smaller. A day for the workbench.
Saturday the 29th bumps up a bit – 2ft from the SSW, but the period is still long at 17 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (470). There’s a light cross-shore wind, but it’s not real clean.
Sunday the 30th shows some life: 3ft from the SW, long period again (17 seconds), and strong energy at 526. The morning has a light cross-offshore breeze and it's clean. Perfect for a longboard. Not a standout, but a good call for a morning session.
Monday the 31st stays around 3ft from the SSW. The wind picks up in the morning, but the afternoon gets a light offshore breeze. It’s rideable.
Tuesday the 1st of September is glassy. Dead calm, 2ft from the SSW with a 14-second period. Clean and pretty, but small. Good for a beginner or a mellow glide.
Now, the first real standout is Wednesday the 2nd of September. We get a jump to 5ft from the west, but the period drops to 9 seconds – so it’s a short-period wind swell. Still, the combined energy is strong at 538 and conditions are clean. The afternoon is even better with 5ft and a cross-off breeze. For Cox Bay, that’s a proper fun day.
But the real gem is Thursday the 3rd of September. We’re talking a solid 7ft from the west. The combined energy is very strong at 968. The morning has a nice light cross-off breeze and it’s clean. That is a powerful west swell – it’s gonna be thumping. This is too big for beginners, but for the experienced crew, this is the best of the whole run. The afternoon gets choppy with a cross-onshore wind, so get out there early.
Friday the 4th still has good energy (710) with 5ft from the WNW in the morning, light cross-off, clean. The afternoon turns glassy again, though the swell drops to 2ft from the SW, but with a very long period of 18 seconds. A beautiful, clean, glass-off evening.
After that, from Saturday the 5th through Thursday the 11th, it settles back down. You’ll get knee-to-waist high waves, mostly 2ft to 3ft, with that long-period groundswell. Conditions are mixed – some glassy mornings, some light cross-shore winds. It’s consistent, just small. The combined energy stays moderate to strong, in the 350-570 range. The standouts in this stretch are the glassy afternoons on Saturday the 5th and the clean morning on Friday the 11th. Not pumping, but pleasant.
One more note: Wednesday the 9th sees a bump to 5ft from the WNW, short period, with a light cross-shore wind. It’s marginal, but there’s enough push for a fun session if you’re keen.
Bottom line: my top pick is the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September. 7ft of west swell, light wind, clean. That is the one. The glassy afternoons on the 1st and 4th are also worthy. For the rest, keep your expectations in check.
-Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 101mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sun afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, strong winds from the ESE by Tue night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 19 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
112 | 104 | 139 | 103 | 175 | 255 | 211 | 273 | 424 | 326 | 402 | 306 | 272 | 272 | 183 | 168 | 525 | 682 | 968 | 474 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | on | on | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 1:08AM3.26m | 1:55PM3.14m | 1:48AM3.25m | 2:23PM3.25m | 2:28AM3.20m | 2:52PM3.34m | 3:10AM3.10m | 3:23PM3.40m | 3:55AM2.96m | 3:57PM3.43m | 4:46AM2.79m | 4:36PM3.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:09PM1.18m | 7:37AM0.47m | 7:47PM0.99m | 8:05AM0.52m | 8:25PM0.83m | 8:34AM0.63m | 9:05PM0.70m | 9:04AM0.81m | 9:48PM0.64m | 9:37AM1.03m | 10:35PM0.64m | 10:15AM1.29m | 11:30PM0.70m | |||||||
— | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 12 | 77 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | W 7 | SW 14 | W 6 | W 5 | W 7 | W 8 | W 7 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
64 | 70 | 103 | 15 | 26 | 156 | 191 | 134 | 424 | 326 | 402 | 176 | 176 | 173 | 157 | 99 | 525 | 682 | 968 | 474 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SSW 6 | SSW 19 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 7 | S 6 | SSW 13 | SW 19 |
112 | 34 | 139 | 103 | 175 | 255 | 211 | 273 | 62 | 33 | 63 | 306 | 272 | 272 | 183 | 168 | 93 | 33 | 98 | 171 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 6 | SW 5 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | S 10 | S 11 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | WSW 5 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 13 |
47 | 104 | 8 | 7 | 62 | 88 | 44 | 57 | 23 | 36 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 37 | 20 | 101 | 114 | 111 | 65 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 119 | 0 | 0 | 825 | 93 | 0 | 17 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Vancouver Island | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











