Coxos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and settle in – this is a bit of a tough one for the local scene. We’re looking at the next 16 days for Coxos, and honestly, it’s a real mixed bag, with a lot of wind spoiling what could be some decent swell. The combined energy readings are all over the place – from a weak 57 (moderate cross-onshore and choppy) right up to a strong 684 (moderate cross-onshore and choppy) – but the wind is the villain here, keeping things messy for the most part.

Let’s start with the first bit of surf on offer. Saturday the 25th of July: we’ve got some swell rolling in, 6 ft from the NW, but it’s a short period 7 seconds, and the wind is howling from the NNW at 16 mph, straight onshore. The water is 70°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Combined energy is moderate at 303, but the conditions are poor. The afternoon sees a bit less height at 5 ft, same wind, same poor verdict.

Sunday the 26th isn’t any better. Winds stay strong, 19 mph from the N and NNW, cross-onshore, making things lumpy. Swell pushes 7 ft on Sunday morning with a strong 432 energy, but it’s all wind-affected. The period is still short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a messy, choppy affair.

We get a little breather on Monday the 27th. The swell drops to 4 ft, but the wind eases right off to a light 3 mph from the NNE. This is a marginal forecast, but it’s the closest we get to a clean window. The combined energy is 245 (moderate), and the period is still short at 7 seconds, so it won’t be a classic, but if you’re desperate, the early morning might have a few workable ones with light texture on the surface.

Tuesday the 28th is a tease. The morning has 4 ft from the NNW with a much better period of 10 seconds, and the wind is a light offshore from the NW at 3 mph. The combined energy is 381 (moderate). This is the best we see for a while – clean, longer-period swell, but it’s still marginal. The afternoon, however, turns onshore and gets messy again.

From Wednesday the 29th all the way through to Sunday the 9th of August, it’s a grim run. The swell drops to ankle-snappers and waist-high junk, with combined energy falling into the weak to moderate range (57 to 684). The wind is either cross-onshore or onshore, with moderate to fresh breezes, and the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions.” There’s a brief spike on Monday the 3rd of August with 6 ft and 6 ft swell, and a strong 487 and 580 energy, but the wind is onshore and cross-onshore, so it’s just a big, lumpy mess. The period is short at 8-9 seconds.

Then on Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th of August, the swell pushes up to 7 ft and 8 ft, even hitting 684 energy, but it’s all cross-onshore wind at 22 mph. At that size, with that wind, this is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a battle. The short period (7-8 seconds) means it’s a fat, choppy, crumbly wave. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is Tuesday the 28th of July morning. It’s not epic, but it’s the cleanest we get: 4 ft, 10-second period, light offshore wind, moderate energy. The period is long enough to have some shape, but at a reef like Coxos, a longer period can sometimes make it a bit walled. Still, for a moment, it might offer a few corners if you pick the right tide.

Other than that, this is a long, bleak stretch. The forecast is reliable for the first week, but the second week is a write-off with no real hope of a clean session. That’s the way it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

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