Surf Forecasts:
Bulli Beach surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, SE swell with 137 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bulli Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Bulli Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bulli Beach in the next 16 days are 0.9m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 11s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bulli Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Rightio, Rusty here, and I’ve stared at the charts for Bulli Beach long and hard. Gotta be honest with you, it’s a frustrating stretch ahead. We’re looking at a solid run of small, messy conditions that’ll test your patience more than your paddle fitness. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no need to dig out the extra thick steamer just yet.
The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Thursday, 30th August. That Sunday morning, the usual typical cross-offshore junk gives way to a moment of glassy calm. Swell is a tiny 2ft from the SE, with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 104. The spot is a beach and reef setup, so that long-ish period might actually help the waves hold up a bit, but it’s still very small. This is your best bet, and it’s not exactly a barnstormer, just a chance to get wet with clean lines.
From there, it’s back to the grind. The whole first week of September is filled with tiny, weak swells, mostly from the ENE, with heights barely cracking 1ft and energy levels down in the 40s or 60s. The wind is often offshore or cross-offshore, which is a positive for cleanliness, but there’s just no power behind it. The best comment we get is “poor surf conditions” or “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s a tough run.
We hit a bit of a bump on Sunday, 6th September, with a morning pulse of 5ft from the NNE, but it’s a short period windswell at just 6 seconds. The combined energy is a moderate 183, but that short period means it’ll be a bumpy, fat mess, and the wind switches to a cross-on E by the afternoon anyway. That’s likely a kite-surfing session more than a paddle-surfing one.
The following Monday, 7th September, gives us a few lingering, ordinary waves, with another 3ft swell from the NE in the morning, then a glassy 3ft in the afternoon. But the energy is only 87 to 103, and the quality is still just “surfable.” After that, it’s a total wipeout. From Tuesday, 8th September right through to the end of the outlook on Friday, 11th September, we’re looking at swell below 1ft, energy in the single digits or teens, and mostly poor conditions. That’s a gap of nearly four days with nothing worthwhile.
So, the pick of a very bleak bunch is that Sunday, 30th August morning at Bulli Beach. It’s clean, glassy, and the swell direction (SE) is in the ballpark of the optimum NE. It’s just tiny. For everything else, you’re either waiting for a miracle or finding another hobby for a couple of weeks.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | SE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
40 | 52 | 46 | 26 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 134 | 30 | 30 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 39 | 38 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 33 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:41PM1.53m | 8:17AM1.20m | 8:16PM1.53m | 8:51AM1.27m | 8:53PM1.49m | 9:26AM1.33m | 9:30PM1.43m | 10:03AM1.38m | 10:11PM1.34m | 10:43AM1.40m | 10:57PM1.23m | 11:29AM1.41m | 11:50PM1.11m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:15AM0.13m | 2:00PM0.28m | 2:46AM0.11m | 2:40PM0.26m | 3:16AM0.11m | 3:23PM0.25m | 3:48AM0.14m | 4:08PM0.25m | 4:23AM0.18m | 4:58PM0.28m | 5:01AM0.25m | 5:56PM0.31m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | |
5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 25 | 24 | 17 | 27 | 27 | 19 |
Feels °C | 13 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 23 | 23 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | NNE 5 | ENE 10 |
373 | 446 | 619 | 26 | 255 | 230 | 257 | 157 | 264 | 262 | 367 | 185 | 220 | 264 | 237 | 189 | 144 | 73 | 18 | 33 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | S 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 17 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
40 | 136 | 46 | 40 | 25 | 251 | 110 | 134 | 30 | 30 | 149 | 351 | 239 | 75 | 39 | 38 | 35 | 34 | 47 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | ENE 9 | SSW 13 | ENE 8 | S 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | SSE 9 | S 17 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | N 13 | S 18 | S 17 | NE 12 | ENE 10 | NE 11 |
64 | 52 | 59 | 26 | 34 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 22 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 3 | 25 | 22 | 6 | 33 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | N 4 | N 4 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 |
— | — | — | 471 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 9 | 7 | 82 | 51 | 48 | 37 | 21 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 47 | 1 | 7 | 36 | 1 | 7 | 86 | 0 | 1 | 86 | 1 | 6 | 40 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Bulli Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bulli Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bulli Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bulli Beach 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 (Bulli Beach) 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 Bulli Beach 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Illawarra? If you are looking for accommodation near Bulli Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Illawarra, consider staying in Wollongong which is 4 km (2 miles) away. Other places in and around Illawarra where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Port Kembla which is 8 km (5 miles) away, Engadine, Caringbah and Cronulla.











