Cowries Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.58° S 150.88° E

Cowries Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 23 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cowries sea temperature is
18.7° C
1.5° 

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


Cowries surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, S swell with 1,049 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period with S swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cowries this week:

The surf forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 1.7m 13s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Fri 24th Jul)5ft (1.5m) 9s
Best Surf 7PM (Fri 24th Jul)5ft (1.5m) 12s
Most Powerful10PM (Fri 24th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 13s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking at Cowries.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s a mixed bag of quality and conditions. The first real standout kicks off Friday morning, July 24th, with a clean 4ft swell from the south and a light offshore breeze from the WSW. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild. The energy is moderate (300), and the period is 9 seconds – a decent combo for a fun, everyday wave. The wind stays in our favour through Saturday morning, July 25th, with a similar 4ft south swell and a light cross-offshore breeze, keeping the surface clean. The energy bumps up a notch (390). Saturday afternoon, July 25th, goes glassy with a 4ft south swell and has a nice, clean feel. Sunday morning, July 26th, is also looking tidy with a 5ft south swell and offshore wind, packing the most energy yet (428).

The real highlight, though, is the morning of Thursday, August 6th. That’s a big one. We’re looking at a 10ft swell from the southeast, glassy conditions, and a massive energy spike (1095). But listen, that’s serious size – over 8ft – so this is for experienced surfers only. Beginners should sit this one out. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it might be a bit lumpy, but the glassy wind will help.

The rest of the run is a bit up and down. Sunday afternoon, July 26th, gets a bit onshore and messy. Monday, July 27th, starts with a glassy 3ft but the wind turns onshore later. Tuesday, July 28th, is small and weak. Wednesday, July 29th, is a washout. There’s a stretch from late July 28th through most of July 29th where there’s almost nothing worth paddling out for. But things pick up again on Thursday, July 30th, with a 4ft south swell, though the wind is messy. Friday, July 31st, morning is a winner: glassy, 4ft from the SSE, and good energy (361). The first week of August sees a return of some small, ordinary waves, but the big highlight is definitely that Thursday, August 6th, morning. Late in the forecast, on Saturday, August 8th, there’s a massive 12ft swell from the ENE, but the call is it might be too big for this break, and the wind is a cross-shore. That’s a kite-surf setup if I’ve ever seen one.

Best bet for the average surfer: Friday morning, July 24th, or Saturday morning, July 25th. Best for the big-wave crew: Thursday morning, August 6th. Keep an eye on the long-range – that Thursday call is promising but not set in stone.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
0
1
1
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)
1.4
S
9
1.3
S
9
1.1
S
9
1.8
SSE
12
1.3
S
11
1.1
S
10
1.2
S
11
1.4
S
10
1.2
S
10
1.1
S
9
0.9
S
9
0.9
S
9
0.7
S
9
0.6
S
9
0.5
S
8
0.2
SSE
16
0.2
SSE
19
0.2
S
11
0.6
SSE
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
311
264
192
992
381
259
371
424
308
207
136
139
79
54
33
25
35
9
201
Wind (km/h)
20
W
10
WSW
5
E
15
WNW
5
WNW
5
NNE
15
WSW
10
WSW
10
ENE
10
WNW
0
SSE
10
ENE
10
NW
5
NW
5
NW
10
WNW
20
SSW
20
SSE
15
SSW
Wind State
off
off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
off
off
on
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
4:14AM0.88m
4:34PM1.32m
5:19AM0.88m
5:25PM1.36m
6:13AM0.91m
6:10PM1.41m
6:57AM0.95m
6:52PM1.47m
7:37AM0.99m
7:32PM1.51m
8:14AM1.03m
8:09PM1.54m
Low Tide
10:38PM0.46m
9:40AM0.49m
11:37PM0.41m
10:35AM0.50m
00:26AM0.36m
11:28AM0.48m
1:07AM0.30m
12:15PM0.44m
1:45AM0.24m
12:58PM0.41m
2:21AM0.20m
1:39PM0.37m
2:55AM0.16m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:56
6:56
6:54
6:54
6:54
6:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:08
5:09
5:09
5:10
5:12
5:12
 mm
1
Temp °C
10
14
14
9
18
18
13
17
16
11
16
16
13
20
19
15
14
14
13
Feels °C
4
10
11
4
16
16
9
15
13
8
13
14
11
17
17
12
10
10
9
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  • 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 Cowries Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Cowries provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cowries can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cowries 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 (Cowries) 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 Cowries 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.

Cowries is 10 km (6 miles) from the city of Port Kembla. If you plan a holiday in Illawarra, look for hotels and other accommodation in Port Kembla. Port Kembla has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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