Surf Forecasts:
Cactus surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SW swell with 2,608 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 14s 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 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cactus over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, wave chasers, Rusty here to break down the next two weeks at Cactus. This is a reef break that gets its juice from the southwest, and the charts are showing a real rollercoaster ride. The water temp is about average for the season, so no worries there.
The first couple of days are a total loss. Sunday (August 2nd) is junk with onshore wind and messy surf. Don’t even bother. But get this: Monday morning, August 3rd, is the pick of the first week. We’ve got a solid 6ft SW groundswell (14-second period) and a clean, cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is strong at 1273. This is a powerful, clean wave for experienced surfers only. It’ll be a bit much for the beginners.
The rest of the first week is a tease. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (August 4th & 5th) offer clean waves, but they’re small. The real problem kicks in from Friday (August 7th) through the next week. The swell goes nuts – we’re talking 10ft+ on Sunday (August 9th) and Monday (August 10th) with very strong energy (up to 3856) – but the wind is a constant, ugly cross-onshore. It’s going to be a blown-out, lumpy mess. Honestly, that kind of cross-onshore chop with that much size is more of a kite-surfing dream than a paddle-surfing one.
Now, for the long-range promise. Saturday, August 15th, is looking like a glassy dream. The wind drops to nothing, and we’ll have a clean 4ft, long-period SW groundswell (16 seconds). The energy is moderate (813), but that flat surface will make it perfect. Then, Sunday morning, August 16th, offers a clean 5ft WSW swell with a cross-offshore breeze. These are the sessions to circle on your calendar, but it’s a long way out, so don’t book the day off just yet. Monday (August 17th) also looks like it’s cleaning up nicely.
So, the clear winner is Monday, August 3rd, for the best combination of size and clean conditions. Keep an eye on that second weekend (August 15th-16th) for a potential glassy reward. The middle two weeks are a right-off for paddle surfing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 23°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Wed night, fresh winds from the NW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 831 | 1048 | 1856 | 1273 | 1075 | 600 | 319 | 258 | 335 | 361 | 694 | 667 | 553 | 1002 | 1492 | 1624 | 1350 | 931 | 886 | 777 | 2414 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 2:06PM1.33m | 2:21AM1.04m | 2:27PM1.22m | 2:48AM1.04m | 2:45PM1.07m | 3:17AM1.01m | 2:52PM0.90m | 3:49AM0.95m | 2:24PM0.75m | 4:31AM0.85m | 11:17AM0.96m | 2:07AM0.58m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 8:27PM0.04m | 8:13AM0.09m | 8:45PM0.08m | 8:43AM0.19m | 9:00PM0.13m | 9:12AM0.35m | 9:08PM0.19m | 9:37AM0.53m | 8:59PM0.25m | 9:18AM0.74m | 8:14PM0.26m | 7:25PM0.20m | |||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | |  | | |
 | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — |
 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | 1 | 7 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 23 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 8 | -1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | — | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | — |
| kJ | 831 | — | 1856 | 1273 | 1075 | 600 | 319 | 258 | 322 | 255 | 694 | 667 | 553 | 1002 | 1492 | 1624 | 1350 | 931 | 886 | 777 | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 10 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SSW 9 | SE 8 | SW 20 | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 81 | 181 | 191 | 106 | 150 | 361 | 26 | 24 | 140 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | S 9 | — | — | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 335 | 60 | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | SW 15 | SW 16 | — | SW 14 | E 3 | ENE 3 | — | NE 3 | N 4 | NNE 2 | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NW 4 | — | W 6 | W 5 | WSW 15 |
| kJ | 14 | 1048 | 62 | — | 50 | 1 | 4 | — | 3 | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 29 | 29 | — | 44 | 27 | 2414 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1035 | 1149 | 940 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 564 | 302 | 651 | 1165 | 1165 | 500 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nullarbor | |||||||||||||||||||||
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)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
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.
Nearest