Surf Forecasts:
Cathedral Rock surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 4,301 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s is also forecast. 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cathedral Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into what we’ve got coming up at Cathedral Rock.
The window opens with some solid energy already in the water. Monday morning, we’re looking at a clean 6ft SW groundswell with a nice, long 14-second period. The water is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much average for this time of year. The wind is a light cross-offshore out of the ENE, and you can expect really clean, glassy lines. The combined energy is strong (1258), and this is a great start.
Monday afternoon gets a bit more size, pushing 7ft SW, with the period stretching out to a very long 16 seconds. The energy jumps up (2002). But the wind goes a bit light cross-shore, so conditions won’t be as pristine as the morning. It’s still surfable, but the morning is my pick for the day.
Tuesday morning looks excellent. Clean 5ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and we’ve got proper offshore winds out of the NNE. The energy is strong (1178). This is a prime session for intermediate surfers.
Mid-week sees the swell drop off. Wednesday and Thursday mornings are small, around 3ft, but the wind stays offshore, keeping it clean. It won’t get you super excited, but you can definitely get a few.
Now, for the standout period. Starting Friday the 21st, the ocean starts to wake up again. Friday morning you’ve got a clean 5ft SW swell with 15-second intervals and light cross-offshore wind. The energy is high (1769). Things really build through the weekend.
Saturday the 22nd is the one to circle. Morning session has 8ft SW groundswell with super clean conditions thanks to the NW cross-offshore breeze. The energy is very strong at nearly 3000. This is excellent groundswell for experienced surfers. This long-period swell is best suited for the point setup here, keeping the lines lined up and powerful. The south-west direction is right in the slot for this break.
Sunday the 23rd holds similar energy. Morning has a 8ft SW swell, clean with cross-offshore wind. The power is very strong (3121). This run of clean, solid swell is the highlight.
We then get a couple of ragged days. Monday afternoon the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are blown out with onshore winds, so don’t bother with those.
The surf fades into weaker, onshore-choppy conditions through Wednesday the 26th.
Towards the end of the month, it picks up again. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th look promising, but the real long-range highlight lands on Sunday the 30th. Early morning we’ve got a solid 5ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period, and the wind is completely dead – glassy. The energy is strong (1510), and the point will be firing for experienced stomachs. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so if you’re an early bird, you’ll be rewarded.
Monday the 1st of September keeps the trend going with clean, offshore conditions and solid 8ft to 6ft SW groundswell.
Overall, the absolute best is that stretch from Friday the 21st through Sunday the 23rd, with Saturday the 22nd being the real standout. Clean, powerful, and well-directed.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 17 | W 13 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1233 | 1978 | 1563 | 915 | 553 | 605 | 309 | 335 | 268 | 241 | 1584 | 802 | 1059 | 1761 | 2379 | 2972 | 3612 | 3515 | 2155 | 1561 | 2424 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:38PM2.02m | 3:09AM2.01m | 3:16PM2.00m | 3:54AM2.03m | 3:51PM1.94m | 4:38AM1.99m | 4:26PM1.85m | 5:22AM1.91m | 5:01PM1.75m | 6:08AM1.81m | 5:36PM1.64m | 6:59AM1.70m | 6:14PM1.53m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:54PM0.16m | 9:13AM0.33m | 9:33PM0.10m | 9:56AM0.42m | 10:11PM0.10m | 10:37AM0.53m | 10:49PM0.14m | 11:18AM0.66m | 11:29PM0.22m | 12:00PM0.79m | 00:11AM0.31m | 12:47PM0.92m | 00:58AM0.41m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — |
 | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 10 | 4 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 8 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 1233 | 1978 | 1563 | 915 | 553 | 605 | 309 | 335 | 268 | 105 | 282 | 568 | 1059 | 1761 | 2379 | 2972 | 3612 | 3515 | 2155 | 1561 | 2424 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | S 17 | ESE 6 | SW 18 | SW 13 | ESE 4 | — | ESE 7 | SW 18 | SW 17 | WSW 7 | SW 16 | SW 11 | SW 18 | — | S 16 | S 15 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 15 |
| kJ | 25 | 5 | 67 | 212 | 241 | 7 | — | 5 | 121 | 241 | 56 | 390 | 558 | 349 | — | 5 | 40 | 133 | 962 | 1137 | 18 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 18 | S 10 | S 17 | S 16 | — | — | NE 5 | WSW 13 | SW 16 | — | WSW 20 | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | S 16 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 8 | 154 | 216 | — | 152 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 19 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 5 | — | E 6 | E 5 | ENE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NNW 3 | — | W 13 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 19 | — | 49 | 40 | 16 | 55 | 50 | 3 | — | 1584 | 802 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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