Surf Forecasts:
Cape Paterson surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, WSW swell with 3,633 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period with SW 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cape Paterson in the next 16 days are 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Paterson over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it for Cape Paterson. This is a sheltered beach and reef set-up that's pretty much for advanced surfers only, especially when it gets a bit of size. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing too wild.
We've got a bit of a slow start, but the standout window is actually right at the beginning. Sunday morning the 23rd of August is your best bet. The swell is a solid 8 ft from the SW with a nice long 14-second period, pushing a very strong wave energy (2193). The wind is cross-off from the NW at 9 mph, keeping things clean. It's a good one for the experienced crew, but at this size, it's not for beginners.
After that, things get a bit messy. Monday the 24th has some smaller 5 ft SW swell, but the winds are onshore or cross-shore, and the quality drops right off. Tuesday the 25th morning has a little window with offshore ENE wind and 5 ft SW swell, which might be worth a look for a quiet session, but the energy is moderate (898). The rest of that week is pretty average, with onshore winds and choppy conditions.
We get a big pulse of power on Friday the 28th of August. The swell jumps to 8 ft from the WSW with a very long 18-second period, sending massive energy through (3633). The problem is the wind is cross-shore, making it messy. This is big, powerful, and lumpy—strictly for experts, and even then it's a handful. The afternoon eases a little but stays cross-onshore.
The following week is a mixed bag. There's a fair bit of size from the 30th of August through to the 1st of September, with SW and WSW swell between 6 ft and 8 ft, and periods up to 17 seconds. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, so the surf is never really clean. The energy is strong across these days.
Then, another chance pops up on Wednesday morning the 2nd of September. The swell drops to 6 ft from the SW, but the wind turns offshore from the NE at 9 mph, giving us clean conditions. The energy is moderate (1236), but this is a solid window for a quality session if you're experienced.
After that, it goes wild. The 3rd of September sees the swell jump to 13 ft from the WSW, but with a strong onshore gale, it's a complete write-off for surfing. The 4th of September has huge 12 ft WSW swell with a very long 17-second period, but again, onshore winds ruin it. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The last few days into the second week drop off in size but stay windy, with no real clean windows showing up. To be honest, the best surf on offer is that Sunday morning the 23rd of August, with the Wednesday morning the 2nd of September as a solid backup if you're patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Tue night, light winds from the SSW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 20 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
3192 | 1979 | 1617 | 1394 | 822 | 661 | 585 | 669 | 734 | 974 | 672 | 520 | 634 | 421 | 392 | 1267 | 3633 | 3315 | 2075 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 7:04AM0.66m | 6:31PM0.66m | 7:55AM0.63m | 7:14PM0.63m | 8:55AM0.62m | 8:08PM0.60m | 10:03AM0.62m | 9:17PM0.58m | 11:07AM0.63m | 10:35PM0.58m | 12:01PM0.66m | 11:47PM0.60m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:30AM0.13m | 12:46PM0.34m | 1:13AM0.16m | 1:34PM0.37m | 2:03AM0.19m | 2:35PM0.40m | 3:01AM0.21m | 3:50PM0.40m | 4:07AM0.22m | 5:06PM0.38m | 5:11AM0.21m | 6:07PM0.33m | |||||||
— | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 |
3192 | 1979 | 1617 | 1394 | 822 | 661 | 585 | 669 | 734 | 974 | 672 | 520 | 634 | 421 | 392 | 737 | 3633 | 3315 | 2075 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 18 | — | — | — | SW 20 | WSW 18 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | WSW 13 | SSW 9 | SW 22 | WSW 20 | — | — | — |
— | 214 | — | — | — | 15 | 32 | 123 | 240 | — | — | — | 222 | 43 | 235 | 1267 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | NNW 3 | WSW 18 | E 4 | — | — | — | SW 16 | WSW 23 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | 106 | 2 | — | — | — | 41 | 53 | 8 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 3 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NE 2 | E 3 | WSW 2 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | — | NW 3 | NW 4 | — | — | WSW 9 | — |
— | — | — | 5 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 196 | 332 | 362 | — | 7 | 7 | — | — | 180 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 23 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 5 | 23 | 113 | 117 | 167 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 45 | 41 |
Best forecast wave conditions in East Coast of Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











