
Surf Forecasts:
Cathedral Rock surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 6,564 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cathedral Rock this week:
The surf forecast for Cathedral Rock over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 17s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cathedral Rock in the next 16 days are 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cathedral Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line.
We’ve got a solid run of southwest groundswell hitting Cathedral Rock over the next couple of weeks. It's a point break setup with the optimum direction from the SSW, and it's fairly exposed to the swell, so it picks up a lot of that long-period energy. Just a heads up, with a 15-second period, this is a proper groundswell that can be a little tricky at beach breaks, but for a point like this, it’s going to groom up into some good lines. The water temp is sitting at a fairly average 57° for the time of year.
The first real standout is shaping up for Saturday the 12th. Saturday morning we’ve got a clean 10ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and a nice offshore wind from the NNE at 3 mph. That’s a recipe for clean, punchy walls. The combined energy is solid – sitting around 3545 (moderate to strong) – so there’s plenty of push. Then Saturday afternoon turns glassy, dropping a touch to 8ft but still pumping. This is your weekend winner, but it’s pushing into the 8ft mark, so it's really for experienced surfers only.
Sunday the 13th is a great option too with a 6ft SSW swell and a steady offshore N wind at 9 mph. The conditions are clean, and the energy is still moderate to strong (1308), making for a very good day of surfing. That crowd factor can pop up sometimes here, so you might have some company.
We hit a bit of a funk heading into Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th. The swell jumps back up to 12ft to 13ft, but the wind goes onshore or cross-onshore. Tuesday afternoon in particular gets choppy with 13ft SSW swell and cross-onshore winds at 12 mph; that one is poor, with combined energy hitting a massive 11089 (very strong). It’s basically a washing machine. Not worth your time unless you’re looking for a tow-in or a kite session.
After that messy spell, the next real highlight is Thursday the 17th morning. We get a classic window: 8ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, glassy conditions, and zero wind. The energy is solid (2232), and it’s going to be clean as a whistle. That’s a top pick for the following week if you can get out.
Things taper off towards the 20th and 21st with smaller 4ft to 5ft swell, but it stays clean. The tail end of the window, around Thursday the 24th morning, shows a promising 7ft SSW swell with a 16-second period and light offshore winds. That’s another one to put on your calendar, but remember it’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on the forecasts.
The overall pattern? A big, powerful start for the experienced crew, a rough patch mid-week, then clean-up into the second week. Don’t sleep on Saturday the 12th or Thursday the 17th.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 8 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
3629 | 3197 | 4480 | 5041 | 3493 | 2584 | 1808 | 1308 | 1125 | 736 | 392 | 509 | 1399 | 6039 | 6564 | 4951 | 6068 | 4893 | 3181 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:08PM1.52m | 11:19AM1.72m | 11:31PM1.66m | 12:10PM1.80m | 00:33AM1.82m | 12:54PM1.86m | 1:24AM1.97m | 1:34PM1.90m | 2:09AM2.07m | 2:11PM1.91m | 2:49AM2.12m | 2:45PM1.89m | 3:28AM2.11m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:38AM0.47m | 5:31PM0.66m | 5:48AM0.44m | 6:23PM0.47m | 6:45AM0.40m | 7:07PM0.29m | 7:33AM0.37m | 7:46PM0.16m | 8:16AM0.37m | 8:23PM0.09m | 8:56AM0.40m | 8:59PM0.06m | |||||||
— | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 7 |
Feels °C | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 8 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
3629 | 3197 | 4480 | 5041 | 3493 | 2584 | 1808 | 1308 | 1125 | 736 | 392 | 161 | 111 | 5210 | 5633 | 4951 | 6068 | 4893 | 3181 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | — | S 17 | S 17 | S 17 | — | — | — | NE 4 | S 15 | WSW 7 | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 |
61 | — | 206 | 90 | 52 | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 36 | 290 | — | — | — | — | 82 | 71 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | WSW 20 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 37 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 3 | W 5 | W 6 | W 8 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 24 | 158 | 509 | 1399 | 6039 | 6564 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 18 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 606 | 36 | 99 | 39 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Otway | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Cathedral Rock Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cathedral Rock provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cathedral Rock can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cathedral Rock 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 (Cathedral Rock) 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 Cathedral Rock 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.
Cathedral Rock is 52 km (32 miles) from the city of Geelong West. If you plan a holiday in Cape Otway, look for hotels and other accommodation in Geelong West. Geelong West has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










