
Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 2,413 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with ENE 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 Tuesday (Sep 15) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 21) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.
We’re kicking off with a pretty slow start at Cowries, a reef and point break that’s fairly exposed. The water temp is sitting at 65°, about average for this time of year, so nothing weird there. The first few days are a real write-off, with small, weak energy and cross-onshore winds messing things up. Monday the 14th has tiny 2ft swell from the south, but a cross-on breeze makes it look pretty ordinary. Tuesday the 15th is cleaner but still small, with a 2ft NE swell early – surfable, but not something you’d rush out for. The combined energy is weak (67) so it’s just a dribble.
The first real standout arrives on Thursday morning, September 17th. Now we’re talking. A solid 8ft swell from the SSE, period of 10 seconds, and clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy jumps to 930 (moderate to strong). This is the best session of the whole outlook. That SSE direction lines up nicely with what Cowries likes, and the winds will groom it. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so if you can get out early, you might have it to yourself. This is the one to circle on the calendar.
Wednesday the 16th is worth a mention but it’s a tricky one – a big 10ft S swell rolls in, with a 10-second period and strong energy (1706). But the wind is a stiff 19 mph cross-off, and with that much size, it’s really only for the experienced crew. That’s a big, powerful ocean, and it might be a bit too much for the average punter.
After the Thursday high, things fade pretty quickly. Friday the 18th has some 4ft SSE swell but onshore winds ruin it. Saturday the 19th morning goes glassy with a tiny 2ft S swell – clean, but barely a ripple. The combined energy is only 129. Then we hit a long, frustrating run of poor conditions. From the 20th through to the 25th, it’s mostly small, choppy, and cross-on. There’s a blip on Monday the 21st afternoon with 7ft SSE swell but the wind is light cross-onshore, and the score doesn’t back it up as a real session.
Into the second week, things look pretty flat and messy overall. A few pulses of 5ft to 6ft swell show up around the 22nd and 24th, but the wind is never your mate, and the energy stays moderate. Late in the period, around the 28th and 29th, we see 5ft to 6ft swells from the NE and ENE, but it’s cross-shore wind and not clean. There’s no real standout out there. The long-range stuff is too uncertain and the conditions don’t line up.
So, if you’re after a wave, the main event is Thursday morning, September 17th. That’s your pick. The rest of the window is mostly a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Mon morning, fresh winds from the S by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 20 | SSE 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
85 | 66 | 78 | 50 | 82 | 933 | 1667 | 1677 | 2335 | 920 | 554 | 315 | 276 | 211 | 108 | 73 | 51 | 26 | 15 | 39 | 30 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:19PM1.21m | 10:38AM1.40m | 11:02PM1.09m | 11:18AM1.36m | 11:49PM0.98m | 12:04PM1.30m | 00:46AM0.90m | 12:59PM1.24m | 2:00AM0.85m | 2:06PM1.22m | 3:22AM0.85m | 3:16PM1.23m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 4:19PM0.24m | 4:15AM0.29m | 5:06PM0.30m | 4:48AM0.38m | 5:58PM0.37m | 5:25AM0.47m | 6:58PM0.43m | 6:10AM0.54m | 8:09PM0.47m | 7:10AM0.59m | 9:24PM0.46m | 8:27AM0.61m | 10:27PM0.42m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | |
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 26 | 25 | 19 | 28 | 29 | 25 |
Feels °C | 21 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 23 | 22 | 16 | 24 | 25 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | S 10 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 14 | NE 12 | E 13 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 11 | NE 5 |
54 | 56 | 78 | 50 | 38 | 7 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 920 | 554 | 315 | 276 | 211 | 108 | 73 | 51 | 26 | 15 | 9 | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | E 13 | SSE 10 | S 9 | E 13 | E 14 | ENE 14 | E 15 | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | — | E 11 | SSE 20 | SSE 18 |
85 | 13 | 31 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 4 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 31 | 59 | 50 | 55 | 25 | — | 2 | 39 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | S 15 | E 12 | E 12 | S 9 | S 16 | — | — | — | S 19 | S 19 | S 19 | E 13 | E 12 | ENE 3 | NE 4 | E 12 | SE 16 | S 18 | E 9 | S 10 |
13 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 6 | — | SSW 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NW 2 | — | — | NW 3 | NW 3 | NE 4 | NNW 2 |
— | 66 | — | 4 | 82 | 933 | 1667 | 1677 | 2335 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 1271 | 10 | 796 | 632 | 10 | 0 | 95 | 0 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 167 | 0 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










