Surf Forecasts:
Cape Schanck surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 19s period, SW swell with 7,496 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 19s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 12s. 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 19s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 14s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Schanck over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Cape Schanck region over the next couple of weeks.
Overall, this is a classic story of a reef break that needs the stars to align. We’ve got some serious size coming through, especially the second week, but the wind is the enemy almost every step of the way. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is about par for the course this time of year, so don't expect any surprises when you're suiting up.
We kick off the period on Wednesday, September 2nd, with a solid SW groundswell. We're talking 6ft to 8ft of swell, with a long 15 to 16 second period. There's a heap of energy in the water. But the wind is a brutal cross-onshore, ripping at 15 to 22 mph. It's choppy, it's lumpy, and the surf is poor. It's just not happening.
Thursday the 3rd is even worse. The wind is howling from the west at 25 mph in the morning, and the afternoon brings a massive 12ft SW swell with a strong onshore wind. The energy is huge but the conditions are completely blown out. This is one for the kite crew, not for us.
Now, we finally get a little window Friday the 4th. The swell is still pumping at 10ft to 12ft from the SW, but the wind swings to a clean offshore from the NNW. The combined energy is very strong. This is a major positive. For the experienced guys, Cape Schanck (a reef break) is going to see some clean, big surf. The long 16-second period is perfect for a reef, with longer lulls between sets. It's a standout, but that size - over 8ft - puts it strictly in the expert zone. Crowds are possible here, so be prepared to share the peaks.
After that brief moment of glory, it all falls apart. Saturday the 5th is a write-off with a near-gale, and Sunday the 6th is back to messy cross-onshore wind. We then go through a long, frustrating stretch. From Monday the 7th right through to Monday the 14th, we are plagued by persistent onshore, cross-onshore, or just lumpy cross-shore winds. There's plenty of swell - some days we see 7ft to 12ft of SW groundswell with incredible energy - but the quality is just garbage. It's a tough look.
Eventually, it settles down. On Tuesday, September 15th, we get a morning of light offshore winds with a smaller 3ft SW swell. The energy is low, but the conditions are clean. The afternoon is even better: a light breeze, 3ft of swell, and the forecast actually mentions "good surf conditions." It's small but it will be clean. That’s your session if you've got a log.
There is a brief swell spike on Thursday, September 17th, with 8ft SW swell, but it's accompanied by a strong, messy cross-shore wind. Another one to skip.
So, the real standouts in this outlook are Friday, September 4th for the experienced crew looking for a big, clean swell at a classic reef, and Tuesday, September 15th for a small, clean day on the longboard. The rest of the period is a long, windy struggle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 9°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the WNW on Wed morning, strong winds from the NW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 8°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WNW on Sat morning, light winds from the S by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | WSW 11 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1685 | 2418 | 2544 | 0 | 4735 | 5520 | 5134 | 4703 | 3415 | 204 | 0 | 3557 | 2284 | 1474 | 798 | 418 | 710 | 718 | 1124 | 2437 | 1806 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | on | on | cross | cross | on | on |
High Tide | 2:54PM1.64m | 3:36AM1.71m | 3:25PM1.65m | 4:17AM1.72m | 3:58PM1.64m | 5:00AM1.69m | 4:35PM1.62m | 5:48AM1.62m | 5:17PM1.57m | 6:43AM1.54m | 6:06PM1.50m | 7:49AM1.46m | 7:11PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:12PM0.13m | 9:34AM0.44m | 9:48PM0.07m | 10:11AM0.49m | 10:26PM0.04m | 10:50AM0.57m | 11:09PM0.05m | 11:34AM0.65m | 11:58PM0.11m | 12:25PM0.74m | 00:56AM0.20m | 1:31PM0.80m | 2:06AM0.30m | ||||||||
6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | — | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | — | — | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
1685 | 2418 | 2544 | — | 4735 | 5520 | 5134 | 4703 | 3415 | 204 | — | — | 2284 | 1474 | 798 | 418 | 710 | 718 | 542 | 2437 | 1806 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | SSW 15 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
59 | 215 | 158 | — | — | — | 280 | 317 | 291 | — | — | — | 42 | 31 | 25 | 18 | 72 | 464 | 1124 | 116 | 97 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | — | S 22 | SW 22 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | 9 | 73 | 38 | 63 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 4 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | — | NW 4 | — | NNW 4 | WSW 15 | WSW 11 | SW 13 | — | — | — | W 4 | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 26 | 3785 | 3278 | — | 17 | — | 11 | 3756 | 3896 | 3557 | — | — | — | 20 | 48 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 49 | 41 | 52 | 52 | 48 | 12 | 12 | 344 | 495 | 534 | 52 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 283 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 48 | 62 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Mornington Peninsula | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











