Cape Paterson Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.68° S 145.60° E

Cape Paterson Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Paterson sea temperature is
13.8° C
1.0° 

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


Cape Paterson surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with 7,686 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period with WSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cape Paterson this week:

The surf forecast for Cape Paterson over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Cape Paterson in the next 16 days are 4.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Fri 7th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 14s
Best Surf 7PM (Fri 7th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 14s
Most Powerful 4PM (Tue 11th Aug)15ft (4.5m) 13s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here, checking in.

Alright, mate, it's been a rough patch on the coast. The truth is, looking at the next 16 days, there's a big dead zone right now. We’ve got a solid week of nothing worth paddling out for, with the wind and weather just making a mess of everything. You'd be better off waxing your board and waiting.

That first real window of opportunity opens up on Saturday, August 8th. That's the one to circle on the calendar. Cape Paterson is looking like the spot to be. We’ve got a solid 5ft swell rolling in from the WSW, and the wind is set to swing offshore and lay right down into a light breeze. It’s going to be clean, glassy even. The wave energy is sitting at a solid moderate level, and the period is a long 16 seconds, which means those lines will have some proper push. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest rubber.

The window stays open into Sunday, August 9th too. The swell drops just a touch to 5ft, but the wind holds offshore from the NE. It’s a bit more of a breeze (16 mph), but it’s still clean. Expect a bit of drop-off in energy, but it’s still a solid call.

After that, things get messy again. Monday, August 10th sees a massive spike in energy, up to 13ft, but it’s accompanied by a strong cross-onshore. That’s a write-off for surfing – it’s big, messy, and lumpy. Honestly, at that size and with that wind, Cape Paterson is looking more like a kite-surfing spot than a paddle zone.

The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some promising signs around Saturday, August 15th with a 10ft SW swell and clean conditions from a cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong, but the size is getting up there; it’s for the experienced crew only. The following week, the 19th, has some clean but windy conditions with a 7ft swell, but it’s a long way off and the confidence is low.

So, for the best bet, lock in Saturday, August 8th and Sunday, August 9th at Cape Paterson. It’s not going to be epic, but it’ll be the cleanest, most fun waves we’ve seen in a while.

Stay salty,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Tue morning, light winds from the SW by Wed morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, strong winds from the NNW by Sun night).

Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
3
3
3
1
2
1
1
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.3
WSW
11
2.2
WSW
11
1.8
SW
10
1.6
SW
10
0.5
SW
19
0.9
SW
13
0.7
SW
12
0.6
WSW
16
0.9
SW
18
1.5
WSW
16
1.5
WSW
15
1.4
WSW
14
1.6
WSW
16
1.6
WSW
16
1.5
WSW
14
1.4
WSW
14
1.2
WSW
14
1.1
SW
15
1.6
SW
19
4
W
10
3
WSW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1307
1274
650
469
175
249
149
164
465
1126
1001
752
1321
1241
961
774
508
530
1770
3065
3692
Wind (km/h)
35
NW
25
WSW
20
WSW
15
SSW
15
WSW
20
WSW
25
NW
25
WNW
25
W
20
WNW
10
WNW
15
NNE
15
NNE
5
NW
20
N
25
NE
25
NNE
30
N
25
W
35
WSW
30
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
3:38PM0.77m
4:06AM0.72m
4:09PM0.77m
4:50AM0.74m
4:43PM0.77m
5:35AM0.75m
5:19PM0.76m
6:25AM0.74m
6:01PM0.75m
7:21AM0.73m
6:49PM0.73m
8:23AM0.72m
7:46PM0.71m
Low Tide
9:57PM0.13m
10:03AM0.19m
10:32PM0.10m
10:43AM0.21m
11:10PM0.07m
11:26AM0.24m
11:52PM0.05m
12:12PM0.28m
00:40AM0.04m
1:04PM0.31m
1:35AM0.04m
2:05PM0.34m
2:38AM0.06m
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:16
7:16
7:15
7:13
7:13
7:11
7:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:32
5:32
5:34
5:35
 mm
4
4
6
1
2
1
2
3
2
3
2
1
Temp °C
10
12
12
12
12
12
10
10
12
12
12
11
15
16
12
13
13
11
13
13
11
Feels °C
3
6
7
8
9
8
3
4
7
8
9
7
12
14
8
7
7
2
6
6
4
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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 Cape Paterson Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Cape Paterson provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cape Paterson can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cape Paterson 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 (Cape Paterson) 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 Cape Paterson 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.

Cape Paterson is 70 km (43 miles) from Cranbourne. If you plan a holiday in East Coast of Victoria, look for hotels and other accommodation in Cranbourne. Cranbourne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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