Surf Forecasts:
Cactus surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with 2,480 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 15s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cactus this week:
The surf forecast for Cactus over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cactus in the next 16 days are 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cactus over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Cactus.
We’re staring down a bit of a rough patch to start, with onshore winds and messy conditions making things tough. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t come until Friday morning, the 24th of July. For a while there, it’s a waiting game.
The standout session of the whole 16-day window is hands down Friday morning, the 24th of July. The swell is a solid 6ft from the SW, with a period of 15 seconds. That’s a proper long-period groundswell, and it’s bringing good energy (1297). The wind is a light ESE at 6 mph, which is clean and offshore. The water temp is 61°, which is about normal for the time of year. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Cactus is a reef break, so that long-period energy will line up nicely, giving you some real shape. It’s a fairly consistent break, but keep in mind you might be sharing the peak with others.
Saturday morning, the 25th, also looks promising. The swell drops a touch to 4ft from the SW, but the wind goes glassy – completely dead calm at 3 mph. That’s a rare treat, and the waves will be smooth as butter. The energy is a bit lower (552), but for a clean, relaxing session, it’ll be hard to beat.
Things get a bit more interesting again towards the end, but it’s further out. Wednesday morning, the 5th of August, shows a bigger pulse of 8ft SW swell with a 14-second period and very high energy (3728). The wind is light and offshore from the SE at 9 mph. That’s a powerful, clean look. However, at 8ft, this is getting into the zone for experienced surfers only. This one is promising, but we’re a week and a half out, so take it with a grain of salt.
In between those bright spots, there’s a lot of onshore wind and chop. The afternoon of the 23rd has some size, but the wind is messy. The window from the 28th of July through the 4th of August is mostly a write-off with strong, onshore winds and poor quality. Don’t bother paddling out then unless you’re a glutton for punishment.
So, keep it simple: Friday morning the 24th is the best bet, with Saturday morning the 25th as a close second for a glassy session. Keep an eye on that 5th of August, but don’t book your flights yet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 357 | 409 | 261 | 733 | 1835 | 2480 | 1563 | 1716 | 1297 | 1212 | 799 | 552 | 411 | 367 | 293 | 217 | 121 | 415 | 784 | 732 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:48AM0.86m | 2:35PM0.87m | 4:33AM0.79m | 2:02PM0.79m | 11:56AM0.81m | 11:20AM0.94m | 00:21AM0.53m | 11:34AM1.07m | 00:05AM0.60m | 11:55AM1.19m | 00:14AM0.69m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 9:13PM0.18m | 9:06AM0.53m | 9:29PM0.23m | 9:12AM0.65m | 9:34PM0.31m | 8:49PM0.38m | 7:15PM0.37m | 4:11AM0.45m | 6:49PM0.30m | 4:58AM0.34m | 6:51PM0.22m | |||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — |
 | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | — | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 357 | 409 | 261 | — | 1835 | 2480 | 1563 | 1716 | 1297 | 1212 | 799 | 552 | 411 | 367 | 293 | 217 | 121 | 78 | 784 | 732 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 12 | 11 | 59 | 81 | 208 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 60 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 5 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | WNW 4 | W 6 | SW 11 | SW 13 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 19 | 733 | 1108 | 1500 | 86 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 13 | 57 | 415 | 59 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 500 | 510 | 1052 | 1219 | 1219 | 1219 | 491 | 552 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 941 | 0 | 1 | 401 | 0 | 1 | 178 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nullarbor | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cactus surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Cactus Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cactus provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cactus can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cactus 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 (Cactus) 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 Cactus 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 Nullarbor? If you are looking for accommodation near Cactus, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Nullarbor, consider staying in Thevenard which is 63 km (39 miles) away.
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