Surf Forecasts:
Bulli Beach surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, E swell with 192 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with ESE 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s 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 1.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bulli Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Look, I've got to be straight with you – this stretch at Bulli Beach is a tough one to call. There's no standout swell in the mix, and the whole 16-day window is a bit of a struggle for good surf. The setups are mostly small, short-period, and the wind just doesn't want to play ball most of the time.
Let's run through it. Starting Sunday the 16th, we've got a weak, short-period swell from the ESE at 4ft, but it's a right-on shore wind, so it's pretty messy. The combined energy is only 115, so nothing to get excited about. That sets the tone for the first few days. Monday the 17th is even smaller, with onshore winds, and Tuesday the 18th shows a moment of glassy conditions in the morning with a tiny 3ft swell, but the energy is still weak at 94. It's barely surfable.
The rest of the week doesn't get much better. Wednesday the 19th has a glassy morning with a 2ft ESE swell and a period of 10 seconds, but the energy is moderate at 155. It's clean, but you're on a shortboard for micro waves. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are similar – small, weak, and most of the time the wind is on it. Friday afternoon does get a clean 3ft NE swell with gentle offshore wind from the NW, but the energy is still low at 85. It's a session for the small-wave gear.
Saturday the 22nd sees a bit more energy from a NE swell at 3ft, with a period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy spikes to 182 – that's moderate energy. But the wind is cross-shore, so it's choppy. Not worth the paddle. The rest of the month is a write-off for anything decent. We get a few mornings with glassy conditions, like Sunday the 23rd and the 28th, but the swell is tiny – 1ft or less. The long-range stuff around the 29th and 30th of August shows a slight pulse to 4ft, but the wind is cross or cross-off, and the energy is low. It's just not coming together.
The water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Honestly, for a beach and reef setup like Bulli, the lack of any decent swell direction and the constant onshore/cross-shore wind means this is a kite surfer's playground more than a paddler's paradise. The best bet is a very early glassy morning with the smallest of waves, but don't expect anything memorable. The forecasts can change, but right now, this is a long stretch of poor conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 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) | ESE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 11 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
115 | 85 | 60 | 83 | 88 | 83 | 77 | 70 | 100 | 80 | 60 | 99 | 36 | 43 | 99 | 94 | 83 | 73 | 107 | 67 | 34 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 10:42AM1.34m | 10:47PM1.35m | 11:24AM1.33m | 11:31PM1.19m | 12:08PM1.31m | 00:18AM1.05m | 12:56PM1.28m | 1:15AM0.93m | 1:52PM1.26m | 2:26AM0.86m | 2:55PM1.25m | 3:47AM0.84m | 4:00PM1.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:42PM0.28m | 5:04AM0.20m | 5:34PM0.35m | 5:39AM0.30m | 6:30PM0.42m | 6:16AM0.39m | 7:35PM0.47m | 6:59AM0.47m | 8:50PM0.50m | 7:54AM0.53m | 10:06PM0.48m | 9:02AM0.55m | 11:09PM0.43m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 6 | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SE 6 | S 11 | ESE 6 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | S 9 |
85 | 205 | 168 | 106 | 73 | 83 | 81 | 59 | 52 | 75 | 60 | 99 | 36 | 43 | 99 | 94 | 83 | 73 | 107 | 67 | 656 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | ESE 6 | SSW 14 | S 12 | S 12 | ESE 10 | S 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | NE 5 | NE 5 | E 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 18 | S 18 | NE 7 |
47 | 62 | 60 | 36 | 27 | 97 | 10 | 79 | 100 | 80 | 51 | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 34 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | ENE 10 | S 17 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SE 10 | E 10 | ESE 13 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | E 10 | E 11 | S 13 | S 13 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | — | S 21 |
102 | 20 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 7 | 70 | 45 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | SE 6 | — | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | — | ESE 7 | — | — | — | NE 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | NE 4 | NE 6 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | NNW 4 | SSW 5 | S 8 | S 9 |
115 | 85 | — | 83 | 88 | — | 77 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 128 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 75 | 649 | 937 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
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.











