Cox Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for us.

The surf window kicks off this Sunday, the 26th of July, and we’ve got a real mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The first few days offer some clean, rideable waves, but then we hit a long, choppy patch that’s basically a write-off for paddle surfing until we get a little glimmer of hope the second weekend of August.

We start out at Cox Bay. Sunday morning it’s a bit rough with a heavy rain and a cross-off wind, but the swell is already there at 0.8m from the SW with a very long period of 21 seconds. The wave energy is moderate (670). By Sunday afternoon, it cleans right up. The wind swings light offshore from the E at just 5 km/h, delivering a clean 1.0m SW groundswell (20 seconds) and the energy jumps up (850). That’s your best bet for the first week – glassy conditions and a long-period line coming in. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Monday keeps that quality going. Monday morning is a bit cross-off, but Monday afternoon is where it’s at: an offshore ESE breeze at 20 km/h with a 0.9m SW swell, 18-second period, and moderate energy (607). It’s clean and workable. Tuesday and Wednesday get messy with onshore winds and choppy conditions, killing the quality. By Thursday morning, the 30th of July, we get a glassy morning with a 1.0m SSW swell, but the energy is dropping (618). It’s a short window.

Friday the 31st of July offers a nice little morning session. A gentle offshore breeze from the E at 15 km/h, a 0.7m SW swell with a 15-second period, and energy at 417. It’s not big, but it’s clean. Saturday the 1st of August is small and weak, with light cross-onshore winds, not worth getting excited about.

Then we hit a big gap. From Sunday the 2nd of August all the way through to Saturday the 8th of August, it’s poor. The swell gets short-period and choppy, with strong onshore winds from the WNW (20-25 km/h). The waves get up to 1.6m and even 2.2m, but the wind is trashing it. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The energy is all over the place, but the quality is zero.

Finally, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. On Sunday morning, the 9th of August, we get a glassy moment. A 1.4m WNW swell, but period is short at 6 seconds, and energy is low (360). The wind is glassy from the SW, so it’ll be clean, but the wave shape won’t be great. It’s a small, clean option after a long run of junk. Monday morning the 10th offers a 1.3m wave with almost no wind, but again, the period is short and the energy is weak (246). It’s a marginal finish.

Overall, the standout is Sunday afternoon the 26th of July at Cox Bay. That’s your cleanest, best-shaped swell of the whole period. The second best is Monday afternoon the 27th of July. After that, it’s a long wait for a glassy morning on the 9th of August, but it’s a short-period wave, so don’t expect too much.

Keep your head up, the forecasts can change.
Rusty.

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