Surf Forecasts:
Cape Schanck surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,605 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cape Schanck this week:
The surf forecast for Cape Schanck over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cape Schanck in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 15s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Schanck over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right from the get-go, it’s a bit of a messy picture out here. The swell is showing up, but the wind gods are having a laugh for the first day. We’ve got a solid 6.9ft SW groundswell at 15 seconds rocking into Cape Schanck on Saturday the 22nd, but that 22 mph west wind is just tearing it to pieces. That’s 1900 in combined energy, so there’s power, but the surface is going to be lumpy and cross-onshore. This is one for the kite crew, not the paddle crew.
You’re waiting until Sunday the 23rd for things to clean up. The swell drops a touch to 7.2ft, but that wind swings around to the northwest, a cross-off at 9 mph, and suddenly the place looks a whole lot better. It’s still a bit rough around the edges, but the morning is clean. The real standout comes in the arvo: the wind drops to a light 6 mph north, the swell settles to 6.2ft at 13 seconds, and the conditions turn excellent for experienced surfers. That’s the kind of session you’d paddle out for. The combined energy is 1895, so it still has some push behind it.
Monday the 24th is a step back. That north wind picks up to 22 mph, which, even if it’s cross-off, is going to make things tricky. The swell is down to 4.9ft, and the score is pretty low. Tuesday the 25th is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning is looking marginal, but the afternoon brings a light ESE breeze, and that 5.2ft SW swell at 13 seconds cleans up nicely. The energy is 1246, and the call is for very good surf. It’s a smaller day, but a good one if you’re just wanting a longboard or a groveler.
Wednesday the 26th is a right-off. The swell drops to 4.6ft, but the south wind is cross-on and it’s just going to be choppy. Not worth the paddle. Thursday the 27th is a bit better. The swell is down to 3.3-3.9ft, but that wind is offshore and light. Very small, but clean. Not a headline day.
Then we hit a bit of a lull. Friday the 28th is confused, with a tiny 1ft swell in the morning before a bigger 6.2ft one shows up in the arvo with a cross-on wind and rain. Poor conditions. Saturday the 29th is back and forth. The morning is looking good with a light ESE cross-off and a 4.6ft SW swell, clean and fun. The arvo brings a cross-shore wind that messes it up a little.
Sunday the 30th is a strange one. The morning has a 4.3ft swell with a long 19-second period, but it’s cross-on and choppy. The arvo, though, is a beast. 9.8ft of SW swell at 18 seconds, combined energy of 5703. It’s big, it’s powerful, but the wind is a cross-on 12 mph, and it’s just going to be a mess. One for the spectators, not the paddlers. This is also where the water temp comes in. It’s sitting around 59° right now, but the anomaly says it’s running about average for this time of year. So, not a shock to the system, just your standard winter chill.
Now, here’s your standout. Monday the 31st. The swell is a solid 7.2ft at 16 seconds, it’s a proper groundswell, and the wind, well, the wind is glass. That’s right, zero mph. The morning is glassy, clean, and the energy is 2475. That’s the pick of the whole run. An excellent call for experienced surfers. The reef at Cape Schanck will be handling this beautifully. Your long-period swells like this, over 15 seconds, they like a reef or a point, and this spot is exactly that. It’s going to have some serious lines.
The arvo that day drops to 6.6ft, but the wind comes up a touch, and it loses a bit of the magic.
The first of September brings a fresh onshore and lumpy conditions with 8.2ft and 7.5ft of swell. Not on. Wednesday and Thursday are back to small and average. The first real interesting bit in the second week comes on Thursday the 3rd of September, with a clean 6.9ft on the arvo and a N cross-off at 16 mph. It’s promising, but less certain.
The other standout is shaping up for the 5th of September. That Saturday morning, 5.9ft SW at 13 seconds, with a gentle N cross-off. Clean and with 1144 units of energy. Then the arvo is even better, 5.2ft and a light offshore NNE at 6 mph. Very clean and consistent. It might not be as big as the 31st, but it could be a fun, user-friendly day.
So, the two true highlights are the glassy morning on the 31st of August, and that clean Saturday on the 5th of September. Don’t stress about the small stuff in between; there are a few days with next to nothing on offer, but that’s just how
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Fri night, light winds from the N by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
129 | 1900 | 4135 | 3261 | 1811 | 1299 | 1602 | 874 | 801 | 688 | 1037 | 865 | 1094 | 799 | 552 | 424 | 268 | 565 | 1576 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:06AM1.46m | 5:31PM1.45m | 6:51AM1.38m | 6:04PM1.37m | 7:47AM1.31m | 6:44PM1.29m | 8:59AM1.27m | 7:41PM1.21m | 10:20AM1.29m | 9:06PM1.17m | 11:26AM1.34m | 10:40PM1.18m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:33PM0.25m | 11:48AM0.71m | 00:11AM0.32m | 12:26PM0.81m | 00:53AM0.40m | 1:16PM0.89m | 1:46AM0.46m | 2:29PM0.95m | 2:53AM0.50m | 4:09PM0.95m | 4:09AM0.51m | 5:29PM0.87m | |||||||
— | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 19 |
2491 | 1900 | 4135 | 3261 | 1811 | 1299 | 1602 | 874 | 801 | 688 | 1037 | 865 | 1094 | 799 | 552 | 424 | 268 | 565 | 1576 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | — | — | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | — | SW 20 | SW 18 | WSW 18 | SW 16 | — | SE 4 | SE 4 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 22 | WSW 14 |
129 | — | — | 152 | 522 | 596 | 204 | — | 15 | 50 | 121 | 381 | — | 6 | 5 | 127 | 136 | 229 | 617 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 19 | SW 18 | SE 5 | SSE 4 | WSW 4 | SSW 19 |
— | — | — | — | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | 49 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 71 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | SW 10 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 3 | — | — | E 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | — | — | WNW 2 | — | — |
16 | 1377 | 2863 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 7 | 16 | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 49 | 52 | 62 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 12 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 13 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Mornington Peninsula | |||||||||||||||||||
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)
Information about the Cape Schanck Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cape Schanck provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cape Schanck can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cape Schanck 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 Schanck) 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 Schanck 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 Schanck is 34 km (21 miles) from Mornington. If you plan a holiday in Mornington Peninsula, look for hotels and other accommodation in Mornington. Mornington has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











