Cowries Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.58° S 150.88° E

Cowries Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 27 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cowries sea temperature is
18.7° C
1.4° 

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


Cowries surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, SSE swell with 814 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 1.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Thu 30th Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 7s
Best Surf 7PM (Thu 30th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 11s
Most Powerful 4AM (Sun 2nd Aug)5ft (1.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s talk about Cowries. It’s a reef and point set-up, and honestly, looking at this 16-day stretch, it’s a quiet one. We’ve got a lot of small, weak energy on the cards, and most days are just flat or near-flat. There’s a bit of a window around the end of July and the start of August, but don’t expect any fireworks.

The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there for a paddle.

We start off pretty grim. Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th of July are a write-off. Swell is tiny, under 1 feet, with a short period around 8 to 13 seconds. The combined energy is in the weak range, between 8 and 31. Not worth a look.

Things finally get a pulse on Thursday the 30th of July. The morning brings a 4-foot swell from the S with a 9-second period, and the wind is a light offshore from the WSW. That’s clean. The combined energy is moderate at 263. It’s not world-class, but it’s surfable. The afternoon goes a bit crumbly with a cross-shore wind, but the morning is your best bet that day.

Then Friday the 31st of July is the standout. The morning shows a 6-foot S swell, 11-second period, with a light cross-offshore wind from the SSW. The combined energy jumps to 651, which is moderate, and it’s clean. The afternoon bumps up to 7 feet from the S, 10 seconds, but the energy is strong at 1418. That’s the biggest energy of the whole period. The wind is still cross-off from the S, so it should be clean. At 7 feet, that’s getting into expert territory for a reef break, but the shape should be good with that longer period. This is the one to chase.

Saturday the 1st of August is still okay. The morning has a 5-foot SSE swell, 10 seconds, moderate energy at 450, and glassy conditions. It’ll be clean and fun. The afternoon gets a bit of a cross-on wind, so it won’t be as polished.

From Sunday the 2nd of August onward, it trails off fast. The swell drops, the energy fades, and by the time we hit the second week, it’s mostly tiny, weak, and poor. There’s a stray 4 feet from the ENE on Friday the 7th of August, but it’s a short-period 6-second windswell, which is not going to deliver much at a reef and point. The energy is weak at 174.

So, the only real window is Friday the 31st of July. That’s the one. Get on it. The rest of the run is pretty flat, especially from the 2nd of August onward. It’s a quiet stretch for Cowries.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
3
2
3
2
2
1
2
2
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
S
8
0.4
S
8
0.3
S
9
0.2
S
8
0.1
SE
13
0.1
S
16
0.8
SSW
7
1.3
S
9
1.1
S
8
1.8
S
11
1.7
S
11
2.1
S
10
1.7
S
10
1.6
SSE
10
1.4
SSE
10
1.2
SSE
10
1.4
SSE
12
1.4
SE
12
1.2
SSE
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
43
18
14
8
7
7
66
258
169
736
646
799
550
445
341
261
509
617
359
Wind (km/h)
10
NW
10
WNW
5
W
15
NW
25
W
30
WSW
20
WSW
5
WSW
10
SE
10
W
10
SSW
15
S
10
WSW
5
S
10
NE
10
NW
15
NNW
5
NNW
20
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
off
High Tide
7:37AM0.99m
7:32PM1.51m
8:14AM1.03m
8:09PM1.54m
8:50AM1.07m
8:44PM1.55m
9:26AM1.12m
9:19PM1.52m
10:02AM1.16m
9:55PM1.47m
10:39AM1.20m
10:33PM1.40m
Low Tide
1:45AM0.24m
12:58PM0.41m
2:21AM0.20m
1:39PM0.37m
2:55AM0.16m
2:18PM0.35m
3:27AM0.14m
2:58PM0.35m
3:58AM0.14m
3:39PM0.35m
4:30AM0.15m
4:23PM0.37m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:54
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:50
6:50
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:12
5:12
5:13
5:14
5:15
5:15
 mm
Temp °C
13
19
19
14
15
13
10
14
13
10
14
13
12
14
15
12
19
19
13
Feels °C
11
16
17
10
7
5
3
10
9
6
9
9
9
13
13
9
15
16
8
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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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