
Surf Forecasts:
Cox Bay surf forecast from 6 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: Wednesday 5 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period, WNW swell with 393 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 14s. 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 1.8m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 11PM. 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+) | 2AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cox Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what Cox Bay has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. To be honest, it starts off a bit of a slow burn, but there are some proper windows of opportunity if you’re patient.
Right now, the water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises on that front.
The first few days are a write-off for a decent paddle. Wednesday and Thursday of this week have surf on offer, but it’s mostly small, cross-shore, and a bit messy. Thursday morning (6th) gives us a clean 4ft from the WNW, but it’s small. We then hit a lull through Friday and into the weekend with barely a ripple.
The first real standout arrives on Sunday the 9th of August. It won't be big, only 2ft, but it's a long-period 18-second SW groundswell. The kicker here is the wind: it's forecast to be glassy. That means mirror-calm conditions, which is a huge plus. The wave energy is moderate (225), so for a tiny wave, it’ll have some push. If you’ve got a log or a longboard, this is your moment.
After that, it goes flat again for most of the following week. There’s a bigger pulse of swell building around the 12th and 13th, but the onshore winds mess it up.
Now, if you can hold out until the third week, things get serious. Monday the 18th of August is a big one. The morning looks iffy, but come the afternoon, we’re looking at a 6ft SW swell with a solid 9-second period. The wind swings offshore from the SE, cleaning it right up. The energy is strong at 838, so this will have proper punch.
Then, Wednesday the 19th of August is your absolute best bet of the whole outlook. We’ve got a 5ft SSW swell with a fresh 12 mph Easterly blowing straight offshore. That is a dream scenario for Cox Bay. The energy is strong (839) and the waves will be holding up nicely with clean, groomed faces. This is the one to circle on the calendar.
Towards the very end of the window on Thursday the 20th, things drop back down with some glassy 2ft leftover swell.
So, the takeaway: the first week is for the patient, but the 18th and 19th of August are the standout days. Don't sleep on that Wednesday.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Fri morning). 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 | W 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SW 18 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | SW 20 | W 6 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
223 | 311 | 295 | 169 | 109 | 263 | 93 | 82 | 239 | 150 | 182 | 261 | 150 | 145 | 122 | 99 | 132 | 84 | 104 | 165 | 326 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-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 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 19 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SSW 13 | WNW 6 | W 6 | SSW 12 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | SW 17 | SW 16 | WNW 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | W 5 | SSW 14 | SW 19 |
223 | 212 | 295 | 169 | 109 | 188 | 93 | 65 | 153 | 94 | 60 | 149 | 39 | 145 | 122 | 26 | 89 | 84 | 46 | 79 | 129 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | W 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | W 13 | W 8 | SW 15 | SW 20 | SW 13 |
55 | 34 | 69 | 70 | 67 | 69 | 84 | 24 | 67 | 62 | 74 | 63 | 150 | 35 | 36 | 99 | 30 | 33 | 104 | 60 | 46 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | W 13 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | W 12 | W 12 | W 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 20 | W 13 | W 12 |
14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 36 | 82 | 50 | 81 | 42 | 67 | 36 | 27 | 24 | 32 | 19 | 19 | 98 | 28 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 9 | W 4 | W 5 | W 6 | WNW 7 |
— | 311 | — | — | — | 263 | — | 80 | 239 | 150 | 182 | 261 | — | 45 | 102 | 49 | 132 | 26 | 59 | 165 | 326 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 201 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 135 | 825 | 0 | 825 | 1708 | 0 | 0 | 1043 | 93 | 343 | 687 | 93 | 135 | 1254 | 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)
Latest Updates
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.











