Surf Forecasts:
Cathedral Rock surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 19s period, SW swell with 12,842 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s 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 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 14s period. 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 4.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) 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 0.6m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 19s |
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 pipe for Cathedral Rock.
We’ve got a big run of south-west groundswell on the cards, but the first few days are a write-off. Wednesday and Thursday are a mess of strong onshore winds and huge, raw energy with combined energy readings in the 12,000s and 11,000s (12623 and 11476). You don’t want to be out there; it’s all close-outs and blown-out chaos. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit surprises there.
The first real window opens up on Friday morning, 11th September. The swell has dropped to 8ft from the SW, with a long 14-second period, and the wind goes glassy out of the SSE. The combined energy is still a solid 2801, but the conditions are clean. This is a good session for experienced surfers, but the long period means those sets will be lining up nicely at this point break, with clean walls. The crowd is *sometimes* an issue here, so get in early.
Saturday, 12th September, keeps the quality going. Morning has a 8ft SW swell, 15-second period, with a clean offshore breeze from the N. The energy is 3228. By the afternoon, it’s glassy, 8ft, and 2555 energy. Absolutely classic conditions for this break. The point will be reeling off.
Sunday, 13th September, is still fun. The swell dips to 6ft, but the wind holds offshore from the NNW, and the energy is down to 1465. Clean, gentle lines.
Monday, 14th September is a drop-off. Small swell, cross-shore wind, and the energy drops to 635. Forget it.
We get a pulse back on Tuesday, 15th September, with 12ft SW swell, but it’s onshore again. The energy is 3932, but the quality is marginal. Not worth the drive.
The real standout of the whole outlook is Wednesday, 16th September. The morning and afternoon are both glassy, with a 10ft SW groundswell running on a 16-second period. The combined energy is a strong 5043 and 4317. The wind is dead calm, glassy, and the set waves will be powerful and clean. This is top-tier for experienced surfers.
If you can wait, the next big highlight is Monday, 21st September. This is the monster session. The swell is 13ft from the SW, with a very long 17 to 18-second period, and a moderate offshore wind from the NNW. The combined energy is massive at 8709 and 9294. This is exceptional surf, but only for expert surfers – 13ft at a point break with that period will be a beast. The conditions are moderate offshore and clean, but you need to know what you’re doing.
The forecast then stays active through to the 24th, with another window of clean conditions on Wednesday, 23rd September afternoon, when the wind goes glassy again on a 12ft, 17-second swell. The energy is 6365.
Overall, the best bets are the 16th of September for a clean, powerful session, and the 21st of September for the big-wave crew. The first week has a lot of waiting, but the second week fires.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4471 | 6454 | 11247 | 11790 | 7847 | 5678 | 3629 | 2801 | 4032 | 4490 | 3228 | 2550 | 2266 | 1460 | 1053 | 799 | 517 | 286 | 833 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy | off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:55AM1.65m | 8:24PM1.49m | 10:14AM1.66m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:47AM0.37m | 2:54PM0.95m | 3:13AM0.46m | 4:24PM0.84m | 4:38AM0.47m | 5:31PM0.66m | 5:48AM0.44m | 6:23PM0.47m | 6:45AM0.40m | 7:07PM0.29m | 7:33AM0.37m | 7:46PM0.16m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 10 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 24 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 94 | 2968 | 11247 | 11790 | 7847 | 5678 | 3629 | 2801 | 4032 | 4490 | 3228 | 2550 | 2266 | 1460 | 1053 | 799 | 517 | 286 | 152 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | SW 20 | S 18 | S 18 | SSE 16 | S 15 | — | — | S 18 | S 16 | — | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | SW 20 | SW 19 | — |
| kJ | 5 | 3201 | 229 | 402 | 51 | 109 | — | — | 152 | 20 | — | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 58 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 19 | S 13 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | 3 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | W 5 | WSW 7 | SW 9 |
| kJ | 4471 | 6454 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 5 | 44 | 59 | 833 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 567 | 1575 | 36 | 39 | 98 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 4 |
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.
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