Cox Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's break down the next couple of weeks.

We're starting off slow. The first real chance to get wet is the morning of Thursday, August 6th, at Cox Bay. It's a beach and point setup, so it's a good spot for the beginners. The swell is a modest 4ft, coming from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds, giving it a little bit of shape. The combined swell energy is moderate (227). The wind is light and cross-off from the SSE, keeping the surface clean. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The afternoon goes glassy, but the swell drops to 3ft and the period shortens, making it just a little cleanup session. The rest of that week and into the next is a bit of a mess. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th get ruined by onshore winds and poor surf quality. Sunday the 9th has a morning window with a tiny 1ft SSW groundswell (18 seconds) and clean cross-off winds, but it's barely a ripple.

It's a rough patch from the 10th through the 13th – mostly onshore winds and poor conditions. The afternoon of the 12th sees a 7ft, 6-second windswell, but with a 30 km/h onshore breeze, it's a total washing machine. That one is for the kite surfers, not the paddle crew.

Now, here's the one to set your alarm for. The standout window is the morning of Friday, August 14th. A solid 5ft WNW swell with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 407 (moderate). The wind is light and cross-off from the SSE, so expect clean, lined-up waves. This is the best on offer. The swell is solid for a beach break, but not too big for the average surfer.

The afternoon of the 14th sees the swell jump to 6ft, but the wind turns onshore, messing things up. The 15th and 16th are a mixed bag of onshore winds and either too big or too small, with the 15th afternoon hitting 6ft and a strong combined energy of 1083, but again, onshore.

After that, the 17th and 18th mornings offer some clean, small waves (3ft) from the SSW and W, with light cross-off winds. It's not a standout, but it's a nice rebound. The real point of interest is the afternoon of Thursday, August 20th. We get a 3ft W swell, a moderate 13-second period, and a clean offshore wind from the ESE. The combined energy is 446 (moderate). It's a small wave, but if you want clean, glassy conditions, that's your ticket. The heavy rain might keep the crowds down, which is a bonus.

To sum it up: the best surf is the morning of August 14th for size and quality, and the afternoon of the 20th for a clean, uncrowded session. The rest of the window is mostly a waiting game with poor wind.

Rusty.

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