Cape Schanck Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.50° S 144.89° E

Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 23 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Schanck sea temperature is
14.1° C
0.9° 

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


Cape Schanck surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 7,146 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 13s period. 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 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 14s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Thu 30th Jul)6ft (1.8m) 13s
Best Surf 7AM (Thu 30th Jul)6ft (1.8m) 13s
Most Powerful 1AM (Fri 24th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 16s

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 the outlook for Cape Schanck.

We’re in for a bit of a tough start, to be honest. The first few days are a write-off. Strong, messy winds are going to wreck the surf. Thursday the 23rd through Sunday the 26th of July are all poor, with the wind screaming from the west and making everything lumpy and cross-onshore. The swell is pumping – we’re talking 10 to 12 feet from the south-west, with a massive amount of energy – but it’s just not rideable. You’d need a kite, not a paddle board, for that kind of mess.

Things start to look a little more interesting from Monday the 27th. The swell drops a bit to around 5 to 6 feet, and the wind swings to a cleaner cross-offshore from the north-northwest. It’s clean, but it’s nothing to write home about, but it’s a start.

Now, the real highlight, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Monday the 3rd of August. That morning, Cape Schanck is going to be firing. The wind is light and offshore from the north, and the swell is a solid 10 feet from the south-west, with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the energy is absolutely pumping. This is big, powerful surf. It’s not for beginners – over 8 feet makes it expert-only – but for the experienced crew, this is the standout. The water temp is about 57°, which is normal for this time of year.

The crowd situation at Cape Schanck is something to keep in mind – it’s often busy, so you’ll want to be early for that Monday session. The reef setup here likes a south-easterly swell direction, and this south-west energy is a little off that optimum, but at this size and period, it’ll still produce some excellent, glassy waves. The afternoon of the 3rd looks just as good, with glassy conditions, too.

There’s also a decent window on Saturday the 2nd of August. The afternoon session is glassy with a 6-foot south-west swell and a 15-second period – that’s clean, fun surf for the experienced.

After that, the swell starts to fade and the winds turn more offshore, so the surf gets smaller and cleaner but drops off through the second week. The second week is more about clean, small waves for the longboard, with swell dropping to around 3 feet or less.

So, to sum it up: the first few days are a complete washout, but don’t give up. The Monday the 3rd of August is your absolute best bet for a big, powerful, and clean session. Make sure your skills are up for it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Thu afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Thu night, moderate winds from the WNW by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Tue afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sun afternoon, strong winds from the SW by Tue afternoon).

Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
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)
3
SW
14
3.5
SW
14
4
SW
16
3.5
SW
15
3
SW
15
3
SW
13
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
12
2.2
SW
12
2.1
SW
11
1.9
SW
11
1.8
SW
10
1.6
SW
10
1.7
SW
11
1.7
SW
13
1.7
SW
13
1.9
SW
16
3.5
SW
15
3
SW
14
2.5
SW
14
2
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3569
4215
7146
5813
3866
3292
2871
1891
1280
1008
844
685
582
677
917
897
1719
5093
3468
2271
1286
Wind (km/h)
40
W
45
WSW
50
WSW
35
W
35
W
40
WNW
35
W
30
WSW
30
WNW
30
WNW
15
WNW
25
NW
25
NNW
30
NNW
35
NNW
40
NW
40
W
30
SSW
30
S
25
SSE
20
ESE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
5:40PM1.53m
6:52AM1.43m
6:13PM1.44m
7:43AM1.37m
6:49PM1.36m
8:42AM1.33m
7:32PM1.29m
9:50AM1.32m
8:29PM1.23m
11:00AM1.35m
9:41PM1.19m
12:00PM1.41m
10:59PM1.20m
Low Tide
11:47AM0.64m
00:17AM0.26m
12:29PM0.74m
00:58AM0.32m
1:15PM0.83m
1:43AM0.37m
2:12PM0.91m
2:35AM0.41m
3:25PM0.95m
3:37AM0.43m
4:49PM0.94m
4:41AM0.42m
6:00PM0.88m
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
cloud
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:30
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
7:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:23
5:24
5:25
5:25
5:27
5:28
 mm
2
1
3
1
2
1
3
2
Temp °C
11
11
11
12
13
13
13
14
12
12
14
13
15
16
14
12
12
10
10
10
10
Feels °C
2
0
-1
4
5
6
7
7
7
7
10
9
10
9
6
4
3
1
3
3
3
  • 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 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.

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