Cox Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming our way at Cox Bay.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things are going to build. The first few days are pretty marginal, but hang tight because the second half of the forecast period has some real punch.

Wednesday, July 29th kicks things off, but honestly, it’s not worth getting excited about. There’s a 4 ft swell from the SW on the morning with a solid 17-second period, but the wind is onshore from the west. The wave energy is moderate (903), but the onshore wind just messes it up. Afternoon drops to 3 ft. You’d be better off waiting.

Thursday, July 30th is where it starts to turn. We’ve got a light SSE breeze, which is cross-offshore for Cox Bay. That 3 ft to 3 ft SSW groundswell (16-second period) will be pretty clean. Energy is still moderate (662). Not huge, but definitely ridable and better shape.

Friday, July 31st is a sneaky good day. The morning has a 4 ft swell from the WSW, but the period drops to 8 seconds – so it’s a bit weaker, wind-affected swell. But the afternoon? That’s where it’s at. Glassy conditions with a light SE breeze and a 3 ft SSW groundswell puffing up with 15 seconds of period. The combined energy jumps up to 708 (moderate). That’ll be fun, clean waves for the afternoon session.

Then we hit a pretty flat spell. Saturday, August 1st through Monday, August 3rd is all small, onshore, or cross-onshore junk. Swells below 3 ft and weak energy (under 400). Not worth paddling out for.

Tuesday, August 4th is a write-off too – 3 ft, crappy 6-second period, onshore wind. Total dud.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday, August 5th – the morning has a 8 ft swell from the WNW with a combined energy of 1271 (strong!). But it’s onshore wind and the period is only 8 seconds, so it’ll be lumpy and raw. The afternoon gets bigger but gets chopped up by a 12 mph NW wind. Not the cleanest, but there’s power.

Thursday, August 6th is the standout. The morning session is *the* time to be in the water. A 7 ft WNW swell, 9-second period, and a light SSE cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is solid (727 moderate-to-strong). That’s going to produce clean, powerful waves. This is for the experienced crew – 7 ft is getting up there. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 10 ft (very strong energy at 2057) but with onshore wind, so only for experts and the brave.

Friday, August 7th stays big with 6 ft in the morning and 8 ft in the afternoon, but the wind and period (8 seconds) keep it from being perfect. Still a lot of water moving.

Saturday, August 8th looks good again. 5 ft swell from the WNW with glassy conditions in the afternoon and a light cross-offshore wind in the morning. That’s a solid, clean day for a bigger wave. Watch out for the crowds here – they are “sometimes” around.

After that, the swell slowly fades. Sunday, August 9th through the end of the run, we’re back to small conditions with onshore or cross-onshore winds. Thursday, August 13th has a tiny, glassy 2 ft SSW groundswell with a lovely 17-second period, but it’s barely a ripple.

The Best Bet: If you want the cleanest, biggest, best waves, set your alarm for Thursday, August 6th morning. That cross-offshore breeze and 7 ft groundswell is the pick of the bunch. Friday the 31st is a close second for smaller, cleaner fun.

Water temp is sitting around 60°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, so you won't freeze your toes off.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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