
Surf Forecasts:
Cox Bay surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, WNW swell with 878 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period with SSW 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 (Jul 30) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 8s. 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 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
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 on the cards for Cox Bay over the next couple of weeks.
The water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is about 2°F warmer than you’d usually expect for this time of year. That anomaly gives us something to talk about.
The opening of the period doesn’t look much for you if you’re after a proper session, but there’s a glimmer. We’ve got some nice, clean 3ft groundswells from the SSW on Thursday afternoon (30th July), with a very long 16-second period. The offshore breeze is light and cross-off, so the lines should be holding up nicely. This is a good, clean little wave for a beginner. The combined energy is moderate at 692. It’s a solid choice for a friendly paddle.
Friday morning (31st July) continues the theme with a 2ft SSW swell at 15 seconds, and still light cross-off winds. The energy is still moderate (571). Friday afternoon gets a bit grotty with a light cross-onshore wind, so that window is best skipped.
Saturday (1st August) and Sunday (2nd August) are a write-off with onshore winds and a drop in quality, so don’t bother.
Now, there’s a gap of a few days with nothing worthwhile, but things start to look up on Wednesday morning, 5th August. We’ll see a punchy 7ft WNW groundswell combo with an 8-second period. The wind is glassy, and the energy is strong at 706. The only thing is, at 7ft that’s getting into the size that isn’t for beginners anymore. It’s pushing into intermediate-to-expert territory. The glassy morning window makes it the standout of the whole outlook if you can handle it. Later that afternoon the wind swings cross-onshore and it gets messy.
Thursday morning (6th August) is still a bit rough with a cross-onshore breeze on the 5ft swell, but Thursday afternoon brings a glassy 5ft WNW swell with calm winds. That’s a clean option, albeit the swell period is short. The energy is moderate (334).
We get a brief run of decent mornings again from Friday 7th through Saturday 8th August, with 5ft to 6ft WNW swells and light offshore or glassy winds. Good, clean, chest-high fun.
There’s a big spike on Sunday 9th August, with a 10ft WNW swell pumping through. The energy is very strong (1093). That’s expert territory only, and with a moderate onshore breeze it’s going to be a raw, lumpy mess, but the power is undeniable. For the average punter, it’s not the day.
After that, things drop off a cliff into the second week. The remainder of the outlook into mid-August is dominated by onshore wind and tiny, weak swells, so your best bet is locking in that Wednesday 5th August glassy morning.
So overall, don’t hold your breath for the first few days. The real standout is that big, glassy morning on Wednesday 5th August. Get it while it’s clean.
Stay psyched.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu night, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue night, min 14°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WSW 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
452 | 430 | 232 | 353 | 268 | 167 | 183 | 173 | 383 | 273 | 236 | 111 | 89 | 107 | 89 | 75 | 878 | 629 | 737 | 677 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:35PM2.98m | 2:01AM3.26m | 3:04PM3.04m | 2:40AM3.19m | 3:34PM3.10m | 3:22AM3.08m | 4:04PM3.16m | 4:06AM2.93m | 4:38PM3.21m | 4:56AM2.76m | 5:15PM3.24m | 5:54AM2.58m | 5:59PM3.26m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:06PM1.35m | 8:39AM0.40m | 8:46PM1.23m | 9:08AM0.48m | 9:27PM1.12m | 9:38AM0.61m | 10:12PM1.03m | 10:10AM0.80m | 11:01PM0.96m | 10:45AM1.03m | 11:56PM0.92m | 11:25AM1.30m | 00:59AM0.87m | |||||||
— | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 9:06 | — | — | 9:04 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:00 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:58 | — | — | 8:57 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 9 | SSW 13 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 13 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 9 |
220 | 192 | 207 | 159 | 268 | 167 | 65 | 173 | 383 | 120 | 236 | 111 | 68 | 107 | 89 | 50 | 521 | 55 | 34 | 677 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 7 | W 8 | SSW 14 | W 8 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | S 14 | SW 12 | SW 14 |
452 | 430 | 232 | 353 | 51 | 29 | 183 | 46 | 95 | 15 | 118 | 70 | 48 | 43 | 43 | 40 | 57 | 16 | 6 | 32 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 16 | S 16 | W 8 | SSW 15 | W 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | S 14 | S 14 |
20 | 19 | 132 | 181 | 57 | 71 | 43 | 166 | 35 | 14 | 49 | 49 | 3 | 41 | 41 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | — | — | W 8 | — | — | W 7 | — | — | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 91 | 176 | — | — | 273 | — | — | 89 | — | — | 75 | 878 | 629 | 737 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1272 | 1386 | 0 | 123 | 1387 | 0 | 119 | 162 | 1 | 119 | 151 | 1 | 0 | 187 | 17 |
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.











