Cactus Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.09° S 132.98° E

Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 2 pm 10 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cactus sea temperature is
15.8°C
0.3° 

Cactus surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Cactus surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,532 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 26s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Cactus in the next 16 days are 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Thu 10th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 15s
Best Surf 9PM (Thu 10th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 15s
Most Powerful 9AM (Wed 16th Sep)6ft (1.8m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cactus over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here again. Same spot, different numbers. Let's talk about Cactus in feet and miles per hour for the next couple weeks. It’s a tale of some killer windows and some flat spells.

Kicking off Thursday the 10th, we’ve got a solid SW groundswell pushing in at 6ft with a very long 16-second period. The wave energy is 1571 – you’ll feel that in your chest. Morning wind is a fresh 19 mph from the east, but it's dead offshore. That means clean, glassy faces on a powerful wave. This is proper juice. Anything over 5ft is stepping up, and 6ft isn't for the groms. Water’s running at 60°F, which is right where it should be for September.

Friday the 11th, it drops back. We’re looking at 4ft in the morning, down to 4ft by the afternoon. The wind is lighter and cross-off, so it's clean and rideable, but the energy is waning (707). Saturday the 12th stays clean with a decent offshore breeze, but the size is down around 4ft.

Then we hit the doldrums. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are tough. Swell shrinks to around 3ft to 3ft, and the wind goes onshore and choppy. By Monday afternoon, the wind is up at 12 mph, messing things up. It’s grim for a few days with energy in the low 300s.

Fast forward to the first real standout: Wednesday the 16th. The swell jumps back to 6ft from the SW, and the energy is a massive 1664. The magic ingredient is the ENE wind at 12 mph blowing straight offshore. The report calls it excellent for experienced surfers, and it’s easy to see why. That long 16-second groundswell will be unloading on the reef. This is your best bet in the first week.

It gets skinny again over the weekend of the 19th, with energy bottoming out at 174 and waves barely 1ft. Not your day.

But the second week has a couple of crackers. Monday the 21st of September is a great all-rounder. You get 3ft of clean SW swell in the morning with a 9 mph offshore breeze – glass city. It builds to 4ft in the afternoon with a gentle, clean cross-off wind. Perfect for a fun session.

And for the big guns: Wednesday the 23rd of September. The forecast shows a solid 7ft of SW swell with a 15-second period. The combined energy hits 2182 – that's a serious amount of water moving. With a light 6 mph wind from the north acting as a cross-off, it’ll be as clean as it gets. This is a big call for experts only, as it’s over the 8ft mark. It’s a long way out, so don't bet the farm on it yet, but the potential is huge.

So, to boil it down: Wednesday the 16th is the one to chase early on. For the second week, keep your eyes locked on Wednesday the 23rd. Everything in between is mostly filler.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Thu
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
2
3
3
2
1
1
1
0
1
2
0
2
2
2
3
4
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
SSW
16
1.4
SW
15
1.3
SW
15
1.2
SW
15
1.2
SW
16
1.1
SW
17
1
SW
16
0.7
SW
18
1
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
0.8
SW
15
1
SW
14
0.8
SW
10
1.1
SW
16
1.6
SW
15
1.8
SW
14
1.7
SW
15
1.8
SW
16
1.7
SW
15
1.5
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1322
868
685
666
746
742
474
307
508
416
262
377
129
653
1185
1307
1212
1532
1279
962
Wind (km/h)
25
ESE
20
E
20
NNE
5
ENE
10
NE
25
NNE
20
NNW
20
NNW
15
SSE
20
S
10
S
10
SE
20
SSE
15
ESE
25
ESE
25
SE
20
ESE
15
E
20
SSE
15
E
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
00:33AM1.03m
12:37PM1.26m
00:44AM1.14m
12:48PM1.22m
00:58AM1.24m
12:58PM1.18m
1:14AM1.30m
1:09PM1.14m
1:31AM1.32m
1:19PM1.09m
1:48AM1.30m
1:29PM1.04m
2:06AM1.24m
Low Tide
6:44PM0.07m
6:23AM0.05m
6:47PM0.04m
6:43AM0.02m
6:53PM-0.01m
7:01AM0.02m
7:01PM-0.05m
7:19AM0.05m
7:11PM-0.08m
7:37AM0.10m
7:23PM-0.08m
7:53AM0.17m
7:36PM-0.05m
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:25
6:27
6:27
6:28
6:28
6:29
6:30
 mm
Temp °C
20
19
19
19
19
25
27
27
17
16
15
17
16
14
15
15
13
18
18
18
Feels °C
15
13
14
16
14
18
22
22
14
12
13
13
12
11
11
10
9
15
14
14
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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