Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, SSE swell with 227 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with ESE 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 (Aug 18) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 1.2m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 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 0.5m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into what’s shaping up for Cowries. It’s a slow start, but we’ve got a proper swell arriving in the back half.
Water temp’s around 64°F, right about average for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary.
Through Monday afternoon, forget it. Small 3ft ESE swell with short 6-second period, cross-onshore breeze has it all chopped up. Not worth paddling out.
Tuesday morning the 18th is the best of a quiet week. Swell drops a touch to 3ft from the east at 7 seconds, but it goes dead glassy with light rain. The wave state is clean, but it’s just surfable, nothing special. Combined energy reads at 212 (moderate energy) so there’s a little bump in there.
Tuesday afternoon tanks: tiny 1ft swell at 14 seconds with onshore wind. From there on, we hit a long flat spell. There’s a solid 5-day gap of really poor surf right through to Sunday the 25th. Conditions are clean a few times, like Wednesday the 20th and Friday the 22nd, but the swell is only 2ft to 1ft—not enough for a proper wave.
Sunday the 24th and Monday the 25th mornings offer a slight improvement: clean, glassy, with 2ft swell from the south, but it’s still just ordinary.
Now the good stuff. From Saturday the 29th, the energy arrives. A SSW swell builds to 7ft through to 8ft on Sunday and Monday, but the period is short at 8 to 9 seconds. The combined energy blasts up to 1007 (strong energy) and even 1469 (very strong energy). The wind stays clean cross-offshore, but this size and short period is for experienced surfers only. It’s powerful and not friendly for beginners.
The real standout is Tuesday morning, September 1st. A clean 5ft SSE groundswell with a very long 12-second period. Glassy conditions, combined energy at 734 (strong energy). At Cowries, a reef and point break, that long-period swell will wrap in and offer proper, well-shaped waves. That’s the session to clear your schedule for.
So, don’t rush out for the first week and a half. The real waves are waiting at the end of the month and into September.
Stay stoked,
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 7 | S 11 | ESE 14 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 62 | 59 | 61 | 102 | 82 | 192 | 70 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 30 | 26 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 78 | 46 | 56 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 11:33PM1.19m | 12:09PM1.31m | 00:20AM1.05m | 12:57PM1.28m | 1:17AM0.93m | 1:52PM1.25m | 2:28AM0.86m | 2:55PM1.25m | 3:49AM0.84m | 3:59PM1.27m | 4:58AM0.87m | 4:56PM1.32m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:40AM0.30m | 6:32PM0.42m | 6:17AM0.40m | 7:36PM0.47m | 7:00AM0.48m | 8:51PM0.49m | 7:55AM0.53m | 10:06PM0.48m | 9:02AM0.56m | 11:09PM0.43m | 10:09AM0.54m | 11:58PM0.37m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — |
mm | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | S 10 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | E 10 | ENE 6 | ESE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 11 |
| kJ | 62 | 59 | 35 | 60 | 55 | 192 | 36 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 30 | 26 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 78 | 46 | 56 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 11 | ESE 14 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | S 8 | ESE 9 | ENE 6 | E 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | S 4 | S 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | S 6 |
| kJ | 37 | 55 | 61 | 102 | 82 | 10 | 70 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 21 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | S 10 | S 8 | — | S 8 | E 11 | S 13 | E 10 | — | SE 7 | S 10 | SE 7 | S 9 | SE 6 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | NE 9 |
| kJ | 8 | 11 | 8 | 29 | 13 | — | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 54 | 42 | 19 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 6 | NE 5 | — | — | — | NNW 2 | NE 5 | — | SSW 4 | — | — | SW 4 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | — | ESE 4 | NNE 3 |
| kJ | — | — | 55 | 13 | — | — | — | 1 | 27 | — | 3 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | 6 | 4 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 8 | 22 | 0 | 10 | 67 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 36 | 365 | 375 | 365 | 299 | 146 | 3 | 24 | 0 |
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.
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