Surf Forecasts:
Cactus surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,856 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 17s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cactus in the next 16 days are 2.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cactus over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Cactus. This is a reef break that’s exposed to the SW, and it’s got a fairly consistent run of energy coming through. The water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is about 0.7°F off the norm for this time of year, so nothing wild there—just your average August water.
We're looking at a bit of a slow start. The first real surf you'll want to paddle out for is on Saturday morning, August 1st. It’s not a total standout, but we’ve got a 4ft SW groundswell with a very long period of 17 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (866). The wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-off from the N, which will keep things clean. Watch out though—that long period stuff can make your beach breaks tricky, but being a reef, Cactus should handle it nicely. The forecast is marginal, but it’s rideable.
Sunday, August 2nd is a write-off. The wind swings onshore and it’s just messy. Don’t bother.
Monday, August 3rd picks up a touch. The morning has a 6ft SW swell at 14 seconds, combined energy of 1273 (moderate). Wind is a light cross from the S at 6 mph. It’s still a bit marginal, but the clean-ish conditions make it a better bet than the weekend.
Now, Tuesday, August 4th is where things get interesting. The morning brings a 4ft SW swell with a 12-second period, but the wind is offshore from the NE at 12 mph. Clean, glassy conditions. The combined energy is moderate (500). This is a nice little window of clean surf. It’s not huge, but it’s quality.
Wednesday, August 5th through to Thursday, August 6th is a bit of a mixed bag. Swell drops off a bit, but we’re still seeing clean conditions on Wednesday morning with a 2ft SW groundswell (19-second period, very long) and cross-off winds. The energy is weak (508). Thursday morning is tiny and clean, but the swell is just too small to get excited about.
Friday, August 7th rolls in with a 6ft SW groundswell, 18 seconds, and strong cross-off winds from the NNE at 19 mph. The combined energy is strong (1741). The wind is a bit fresh, but it’s offshore, so the waves will be clean and lined up. This is a solid day for experienced surfers.
Saturday, August 8th and Sunday, August 9th are a total loss. Strong onshore winds and messy conditions. Stay home.
Now, Monday, August 10th is a standout. We’ve got a solid 10ft SW groundswell with an 18-second period rolling in. The combined energy is very strong (5495). The wind is cross-off from the NNE at 12 mph, keeping it clean. This is big, powerful, and clean. This is for experts only. If you’re not confident in overhead-plus reef waves, sit this one out.
Tuesday, August 11th stays big, with 8ft SW swell, but the period drops to 15 seconds. The energy is still very strong (3026). The wind is cross-off from the NNE again, but a bit stronger at 22 mph. The afternoon has lighter winds, so it cleans up nicely. This is still big, expert territory.
Wednesday, August 12th sees the swell drop to a more manageable 6ft SW, with a 13-second period. The wind is offshore from the ENE at 12 mph. The energy is moderate (1069). This is a solid day for intermediate surfers. Clean, groomed lines.
Thursday, August 13th is a bit of a letdown. The swell is down to 4ft, and the wind is fresh and cross-off, but the energy is moderate (726). Not much to write home about.
Friday, August 14th is another good one. A 7ft SW groundswell, 16 seconds, with light cross-off winds from the ESE at 6 mph. The combined energy is strong (2413). Clean, glassy conditions. This is a solid day for experienced surfers.
Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th are both smaller, with 5ft and 4ft SW swell respectively. Clean conditions, but nothing special. Good for a longboard or a fun session.
Best on offer: The clear standout is Monday, August 10th. That 10ft SW groundswell with perfect offshore winds is as good as it gets for experts. The second best is Friday, August 14th—a bit smaller, but super clean and powerful. If you’re an intermediate, aim for Tuesday, August 4th or Wednesday, August 12th.
Stay safe out there, and don’t be a hero in the big stuff.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Sat morning, light winds from the SSW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | 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 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 861 | 1081 | 1029 | 1033 | 1048 | 1832 | 1273 | 1004 | 659 | 309 | 262 | 322 | 361 | 694 | 755 | 560 | 978 | 1330 | 1741 | 1399 | 728 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | cross | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 1:44PM1.40m | 1:55AM1.02m | 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 | |||||||||
Low Tide | 8:08PM0.03m | 7:44AM0.02m | 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 | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — |
 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 |
Temp °C | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 23 | 19 |
Feels °C | 7 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | — | — | SW 15 | 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 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 861 | 1081 | 1029 | — | — | 1832 | 1273 | 1004 | 659 | 309 | 262 | 322 | 361 | 694 | 755 | 560 | 978 | 1330 | 1741 | 1399 | 728 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 10 | SW 21 | SW 14 | S 9 | SSW 8 | SW 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 81 | 181 | 191 | 100 | 150 | 132 | 24 | 7 | 109 | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 9 | — | — | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | N 4 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | — | — | ESE 2 | ENE 3 | — | ENE 3 | N 4 | N 4 | — | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 22 | 13 | 14 | 1033 | 1048 | 62 | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | 3 | 10 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 16 | 46 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 401 | 500 | 564 | 1035 | 652 | 940 | 0 | 941 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 401 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 564 | 649 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nullarbor | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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