Cox Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's look at what's ahead for the region.

Alright, we've got a mixed bag coming up, but honestly, the first few days are your best bet. The water's sitting at 56°F right now, which is about average for the time of year, no major surprises there.

We kick off on Thursday, July 9th, and it's a beauty. Cox Bay is the play. Thursday morning you've got a solid 3ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period pushing in. The combined energy is moderate (609), and the wind is glassy out of the SW at just 3 mph. That's as clean as it gets. The waves will be long, lined up, and perfect for a beginner-friendly beach and point setup. The long period means the sets will have plenty of power and nice shape, and the gaps between sets will give you a breather to paddle out. Thursday afternoon is looking just as good, still glassy with a light NE breeze, energy up to 780. This is the standout – get out there. Crowds are possible though, so keep an eye out.

Friday, July 10th, takes a step back. The swell sticks around at 3ft, but the wind swings onshore from the W at 6 mph, messing with the surface. The energy is still moderate (681), but the conditions are marginal. I'd give it a miss.

Saturday, July 11th, offers a bit of redemption. The swell drops slightly to 3ft, still a nice 15-second period, and the wind turns cross-offshore from the SE at 9 mph. The energy is moderate (568, dropping to 501 in the arvo), and the surface will be clean. It's a good option if you missed the Thursday window, but not as perfect.

Sunday, July 12th, through to Wednesday, July 15th, is a slow slide. Swell drops to 2ft or less, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore. The energy drops into the 200-400 range, and conditions are either marginal or poor. Not worth the paddle.

Now, here's a spike of interest. On Wednesday, July 15th, the morning shows a 4ft WNW swell, but it's a short-period 9-second wind swell. The energy is moderate (448), but the wind is light cross-shore from the S at 3 mph. The tide conditions are questionable, so it's a maybe. The afternoon gets messy with onshore wind and a 5ft, 6-second choppy mess. That's more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

The following week, from July 16th to the 24th, is mostly a write-off for quality surf. The swell hangs around 2ft to 2ft, with some brief pulses. On Thursday, July 16th, the morning has a 2ft swell with a very long 18-second period, but it's cross-shore wind; the energy is low (377). Not great. On Friday, July 17th, the afternoon bumps up to 6ft but it's a short, choppy 8-second period with cross-onshore wind. On Saturday, July 18th, the morning has a 6ft, 8-second swell with cross-shore wind, but it's still short-period and messy. The afternoon hits 7ft – that's expert territory, and with a 8-second period and cross-onshore wind, it'll be a washing machine. Energy is very strong (1294), but not for the faint-hearted.

The real hidden gem is Monday, July 20th, morning. After a long flat spell, we get a 2ft SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, and the wind is glassy from the SSE at 3 mph. The energy is moderate (441), and the conditions will be clean. It's a small, clean, long-period day – a sneaky winner for the patient surfer.

Then Tuesday, July 21st, morning also looks promising with a 2ft SW groundswell, 16-second period, and clean cross-offshore wind from the SSE at 6 mph. Energy is moderate (507). That's a good one to target.

From Wednesday, July 22nd, onward, it's back to small, weak, and onshore. The energy drops to low values (194-255) and the wind is howling from the W and WNW at 9-16 mph. The final day, Friday, July 24th, afternoon has a 6ft, 6-second chop with strong onshore wind – pure mess for paddle surfing.

So, the standout is definitely Thursday, July 9th, with Thursday morning being the pick of the entire 16 days. The glassy conditions and long-period groundswell at Cox Bay will be a treat. The secondary shout-out goes to Tuesday, July 21st, for a clean but smaller session. The long gap between the 9th and the 20th/21st is a bummer, but that's how it goes sometimes.

Stay stoked.
Rusty.

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