Surf Forecasts:
Boneyards surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 22 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 5,748 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 18 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Boneyards this week:
The surf forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 21s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Boneyards in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 22) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 23) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Tue 22nd Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Boneyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s see what we got here. We got a bit of a rough patch to start. A 3.0m SSW swell is on its way, but it's going to be fighting some solid south-west winds. The water’s a touch warm—about a degree and a bit above where it should be at this time of year—which is nice, but the surf is going to be pretty chopped up and messy for the first couple of days. Not much for anyone to get excited about.
Then things start to look a whole lot better. The first real standout is Friday morning, the 18th. The wind is set to swing offshore, into the northwest, and we are looking at a sweet 2.1m SW groundswell with a hit of real long-period energy—17 seconds. That's the kind of west-northwest in the water that makes the reef light up. It’s going to be a big one for the experts, with a solid 3526 combined energy reading. Boneyards (Big Island) is the call, and it’s going to be a proper session for the crew who can handle it. It’ll be crowded with like-minded folks.
That swell eases off a bit on Saturday, but the power is still there. We see a jump in size—up to 3.5m—but the period drops, and we get lumpy west winds making it a bit of a wrestle. It's not the same quality, but the energy is still pumping at 5642. This might be one for the foiling crew, not so much for the regular shortboard.
The early part of the following week gets really messy. The wind swings onshore and it's all over the place with more significant SW swell on the way. It’s not looking good, so we’ll be sitting that out.
Now, if you're patient, the real magic shows up on the 26th of September. That Saturday is looking like the pick of the whole run. There’s a smaller, but clean 1.6m SW south-west swell with a very long 19-second period. Wind is offshore, light and glassy, and the wave quality is rated as excellent. The energy is still over the 2000 mark, and conditions look perfect. This is when Boneyards will show its true colours. It's a day for the top-end surfers, with perfect lines and a lighter wind that will keep the surface like a mirror. You don't want to miss this window. The Sunday after also looks fun, with a bit less size but still clean.
The last few days of the run see the swell fade. The first couple of days of the new month look like a write-off, a bit of a lull before the next pulse. It’s a quiet end to the run. So, if you want a wave, that final week of September is where you need to be.
All the best, and think before you paddle out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 6°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3784 | 3487 | 2736 | 1644 | 1329 | 1554 | 2541 | 1958 | 1484 | 4536 | 732 | 1048 | 868 | 746 | 2212 | 3170 | 3887 | 3867 | 5486 | 5146 | 3260 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:26PM1.64m | 3:17AM1.81m | 2:55PM1.61m | 3:51AM1.75m | 3:23PM1.55m | 4:26AM1.66m | 3:50PM1.49m | 5:04AM1.56m | 4:16PM1.41m | 5:48AM1.45m | 4:44PM1.32m | 6:45AM1.36m | 5:19PM1.22m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:44PM0.09m | 9:15AM0.54m | 9:16PM0.12m | 9:47AM0.62m | 9:48PM0.18m | 10:18AM0.71m | 10:20PM0.26m | 10:50AM0.81m | 10:54PM0.36m | 11:28AM0.91m | 11:34PM0.46m | 12:24PM0.99m | 00:29AM0.57m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — |
 | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 25 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 3784 | 3487 | 2736 | 1644 | 1329 | 1554 | 2541 | 1958 | 1484 | 1102 | 732 | 1048 | 868 | 746 | 1307 | 3170 | 3887 | 3867 | 5486 | 5146 | 3260 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 15 | — | — | — | SW 21 | SW 18 | — | S 15 | S 14 | — | S 16 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 17 | SSE 16 | E 5 |
| kJ | 20 | 4 | — | — | — | 150 | 985 | — | 5 | 4 | — | 19 | 2 | 1 | — | 43 | 43 | 42 | 91 | 26 | 33 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | WSW 13 | W 3 | — | NNW 3 | W 3 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | 4536 | 3 | — | 3 | 5 | 2212 | — | — | — | — | — | 64 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 227 | 227 | 1 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 22 | 17 | 40 | 112 | 227 | 1 | 113 | 113 | 57 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Otway | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Boneyards Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Boneyards provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Boneyards can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Boneyards surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Boneyards) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Boneyards may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Boneyards is 75 km (47 miles) from the city of Geelong West. If you plan a holiday in Cape Otway, look for hotels and other accommodation in Geelong West. Geelong West has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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