Surf Forecasts:
Bulli Beach surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, NE swell with 266 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bulli Beach in the next 16 days are 1.6m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bulli Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s get into it.
Alright mate, lookin’ at the 16-day window for Bulli Beach, it’s a bit of a slow burn. There’s really not much to write home about for the first week or so – a lot of small, weak swell and cross-onshore junk. The real standout, the one you wanna circle on the calendar, lands on Tuesday morning, the 1st of September. That’s the pick of the period.
So, the first decent surfable wave shows up on Wednesday morning, the 19th of August. We’ve got a modest 2ft swell from the ESE, period around 10 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze from the NNE. The water temp is a pretty standard 64°F for the time of year, about normal. The combined energy is weak (194). It’s surfable but very ordinary – nothing to get excited about.
Thursday the 20th through Monday the 24th is a real grind. The swell climbs to about 3ft to 4ft from the NE, but the period is short, around 5 to 6 seconds, meaning weak, crumbly waves. The combined energy drops way down, mostly under 100. Light winds keep it clean in the mornings, but it’s just small and weak. It’s a tough stretch, with a few days of really poor conditions in there.
Then we get a little spike on Tuesday morning, the 25th of August. Swell jumps to 5ft from the NE, period up to 7 seconds, and the combined energy kicks up to a moderate 215. Light offshore wind from the NNW keeps it clean. That’s the best of the first week, but it’s still not a world-beater – it’s a bit peaky with that short period.
From Wednesday the 26th through to Monday the 31st, it’s pretty much a write-off. Swell drops back to tiny, under 3ft, with a lot of cross-shore wind and a few days of really strong onshores. The combined energy is mostly in the single digits or low teens. A real flat spell.
Now, for the standout. Tuesday morning, the 1st of September. The swell is 4ft from the SE with a period of 9 seconds, giving it some decent push. The combined energy is a solid 230 (moderate). The wind is a beautiful light offshore from the N, so it’ll be clean and glassey. This is the one to target. It’s a beach and reef setup, exposed to the swell, so it should handle that SE direction well. The water temp anomaly is normal for the time of year. It’s an advanced break, so it’s got some punch, and with the 4ft swell, it’s not too big for experienced surfers. Crowds are possible there, so get in early.
The rest of the second week, from the 1st afternoon right through to the 3rd of September, drops off again. The swell gets small, period drops, and the wind turns cross or cross-on. Not much to chase.
So, overall, it’s a lean period. The big win is that Tuesday morning, the 1st of September. Everything else is small and weak. The break is fairly consistent though, so it won’t stay flat forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 6 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 5 | NE 6 | ESE 4 | NE 6 | NE 4 | ENE 9 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
82 | 72 | 64 | 62 | 69 | 132 | 85 | 76 | 30 | 23 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 34 | 64 | 72 | 215 | 237 | 110 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:56PM1.28m | 1:15AM0.93m | 1:52PM1.26m | 2:26AM0.86m | 2:55PM1.25m | 3:47AM0.84m | 4:00PM1.27m | 4:57AM0.87m | 4:57PM1.32m | 5:49AM0.92m | 5:45PM1.38m | 6:31AM0.99m | 6:27PM1.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:35PM0.47m | 6:59AM0.47m | 8:50PM0.50m | 7:54AM0.53m | 10:06PM0.48m | 9:02AM0.55m | 11:09PM0.43m | 10:09AM0.54m | 11:58PM0.37m | 11:07AM0.49m | 00:37AM0.30m | 11:56AM0.43m | 1:12AM0.23m | ||||||||
6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | S 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 5 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | NE 5 | S 9 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 |
72 | 72 | 64 | 43 | 16 | 132 | 85 | 2 | 30 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 46 | 43 | 35 | 34 | 26 | 72 | 215 | 237 | 110 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | SE 6 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | S 12 | S 11 | SW 4 | S 10 | S 9 | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 5 | S 16 | ENE 9 | S 10 | S 16 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 14 |
82 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 43 | 8 | 29 | 19 | 25 | 11 | 17 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | E 13 | S 14 | S 13 | — | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | E 9 | SSW 8 | NE 9 | NE 6 | S 20 | S 14 | ENE 8 | E 13 | NE 9 | S 10 | S 14 | S 14 |
19 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | — | NE 6 | WNW 3 | S 5 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | NNE 2 | NE 4 | NE 5 | — | NE 5 | NE 6 | NNW 5 | — | S 7 |
40 | 62 | 118 | 62 | 69 | — | — | 76 | 1 | 23 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 15 | 72 | — | 64 | 108 | 59 | — | 152 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 425 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 194 | 27 | 316 | 79 | 5 | 256 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











