Cox Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at what’s on the menu at Cox Bay for the next couple weeks. It’s a mixed bag, but there’s a few real gems if you know where to look.

Right now, the first few days are a bit of a bust – small, sloppy, and not much to get excited about. We’ve got a lull from Friday arvo through to Saturday morning, with only knee-high waves and dodgy winds. Not worth the paddle.

The first real window opens up Saturday afternoon, the 25th of July. The swell comes in at 3ft from the SW, with a solid period of 22 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind goes offshore from the east at 15 km/h, meaning clean, peeling lines. The combined energy reads 755 (moderate), so there’s a bit of push behind it. Cox Bay is a beach and point setup, so that long-period stuff will wrap in nicely along the point. Water temp is sittin’ at 60°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice surprise.

Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th stay in that 3ft to 3ft range, with offshore or cross-off winds, so the shape stays clean, but the rain might spoil the session. The energy is still moderate (670 to 728). Tuesday the 28th looks similar, with a morning session of 4ft SW swell, 19-second period, and cross-off winds – clean but nothin’ huge.

The standout for the first week has to be Wednesday morning, the 29th of July. Glassy conditions, 4ft of SW swell at 17 seconds, and the combined energy hits 918 (solid moderate). The wind is glassy from the southwest at 5 km/h – that’s as good as it gets for clean surf. The swell direction is straight out of the west, which is exactly what Cox Bay loves. It’s a fairly consistent break, so you can expect a few waves, but it can get a bit crowded – especially on a morning like this. Beginners, 4ft is fine, but that long period might make the sets a bit more powerful, so hang tight.

After that, the 30th and 31st of July look average – the wind goes onshore, and the swell drops off. The 1st of August is pretty poor. Skip it.

The second week starts to look more interesting, but it’s a bit further out. Sunday the 2nd of August brings a new pulse: 4ft from the west, but the period is a short 8 seconds – windswell, not groundswell. The energy is 390 (weak), but the wind is light cross-off, so it’ll be clean. It’s a small, fun option for the longboard.

Monday the 3rd of August is glassy again in the morning, with 4ft of west swell, 8-second period, and combined energy of 274 (weak). Clean, but not a lot of power.

The big one arrives on Tuesday the 4th of August. That afternoon, the swell jumps to 8ft from the WNW, with a short 7-second period, but the combined energy is 583 (moderate). The wind is glassy from the south at 5 km/h. This is a solid pulse of energy, and with glassy conditions, it’s gonna be a fun, powerful session. But 8ft is gettin’ into expert territory – if you’re not comfortable in overhead waves, sit this one out. The short period means it’ll be a bit lumpy and close together, but the point break at Cox Bay will handle it better than the beach.

Wednesday the 5th of August is the peak: 8ft swell from the WNW, 8-second period, and the combined energy hits 1558 (strong). That’s a serious amount of water moving. The wind is onshore at 10 km/h, so it’ll be a bit messy, but for experienced rippers, there’s gonna be some bombs. This is expert-only stuff – 8ft is big, and the onshore wind will make it sectiony and hard to paddle into. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup looks more interesting for you than paddle surfing.

The rest of the week sees the swell easing back to 5ft to 6ft, with glassy conditions on Friday the 7th of August morning – 6ft from the WNW, 8-second period, 846 combined energy (moderate). That’s a clean, solid morning for the confident crew.

The 8th of August is a bit average, with onshore winds and droppin’ swell.

Overall, the best on offer is Wednesday morning, the 29th of July – glassy, clean, waist-high groundswell with proper energy. For the bigger, more powerful stuff, Tuesday the 4th of August afternoon is the standout, but only for the experts.

Stay wet,
Rusty

Read more