Cowries Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.58° S 150.88° E

Cowries Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 14 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cowries sea temperature is
18.4° C
1.1° 

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


Cowries surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, S swell with 1,732 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 10AM. 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Wed 15th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 7s
Best Surf 7AM (Wed 15th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Most Powerful10AM (Wed 15th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get into it. I've been staring at this forecast for Cowries, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a mixed bag, with some serious waiting involved. There’s a few standout windows, but you’ll need patience.

The pattern starts off super flat. Tuesday and Wednesday of this week are pretty much dead, with barely a ripple. You’re looking at tiny 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft blips from the south, but with a bit of cross-off wind, it's not doing anything. Don't even bother.

Then Wednesday afternoon kicks off a pulse of solid, but raw, south swell. 10 ft on Wednesday morning with a short 10-second period and a lot of energy (2766) – that’s big, but it's a bit of a beast. Some moderate cross-off wind will make it a bit lumpy. That size is expert-only stuff, and even then, the short period means it'll be dumping hard. Thursday drops to 6 ft, still short period, still marginal. This whole first pulse is more of a "check it from the cliffs" situation than a paddle-out.

After that, things go quiet again. Friday through the weekend is tiny and weak, with a bit of onshore wind. Not worth the wetsuit.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday, July 20th is the first real standout. The swell drops to a manageable 5 ft from the east-northeast, with a decent 10-second period. But the killer detail is the wind: glassy in the morning. Dead flat calm. For a reef and point break that likes a bit of east in the swell, that’s a recipe for silky, clean lines. It's a beginner-friendly size and the crowd might pop up, but with conditions that good, it’s worth the company. The combined energy is moderate (508), so it’ll have some push.

Then there’s a much bigger, more powerful swell brewing for the following week. Thursday, July 23rd is the one to circle on your calendar. We’re looking at a 5 ft east swell, but the period jumps to 14 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. The energy reading is a whopping 1273, so there's a lot of water moving. Winds are light and cross-off out of the west in the morning – that’s the sweet spot. This will be fast, lined-up waves with real power, perfect for the point. Excellent conditions.

Friday the 24th keeps the good energy with another 5 ft east swell at 11 seconds. The morning is clean with a cross-off, and the afternoon goes glassy again. Another solid day.

After that, it gets windy and messy again for the last few days of July. A bit of a south swell pops up on the 27th afternoon, 6 ft with a 10-second period and decent energy (886), but it’s behind rain and some onshore wind.

Overall, the consistent periods are broken up. There’s a big gap of nothing from the 17th to the 19th, and then another quieter patch after the 25th. Your best bets are Monday morning, July 20th for pure, glassy fun at 5 ft east-northeast, and Thursday morning, July 23rd for the real deal: a long-period east groundswell at 5 ft with clean offshore wind. That Thursday window is the highlight of the whole run.

Water temperature is sitting at 65°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nothing drastic, just a little bonus.

Stay patient, check those standout windows, and don't waste your time on the flat spells.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sat morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
AM
PM
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
3
2
2
2
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
2
2
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)
0.1
S
10
0.2
S
11
0.3
S
11
3
S
10
2.2
S
8
1.8
S
7
1.9
S
8
1.5
S
8
1.4
SSE
7
0.5
S
8
0.4
E
5
0.7
S
10
0.6
S
10
0.5
S
10
0.9
ENE
7
1.2
ENE
9
1.6
ENE
11
1.5
ENE
10
1.4
ENE
10
1.4
ENE
10
1.3
ENE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2
10
20
1732
686
352
464
258
158
32
7
87
68
48
89
265
551
451
380
388
338
Wind (km/h)
20
W
30
W
15
WSW
20
SW
20
S
15
SW
20
SSW
25
S
20
SW
15
SSW
10
SSE
15
SW
15
SSW
15
SSE
10
SSW
10
SE
5
E
0
N
5
NNE
15
NE
10
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
8:05PM1.80m
8:59AM1.15m
8:55PM1.79m
9:48AM1.18m
9:44PM1.73m
10:37AM1.20m
10:32PM1.62m
11:25AM1.22m
11:20PM1.47m
12:13PM1.24m
00:08AM1.30m
1:02PM1.25m
00:59AM1.14m
Low Tide
1:32PM0.25m
2:58AM-0.07m
2:26PM0.24m
3:45AM-0.06m
3:18PM0.25m
4:31AM-0.02m
4:11PM0.29m
5:14AM0.05m
5:06PM0.34m
5:55AM0.13m
6:04PM0.40m
6:35AM0.23m
7:07PM0.46m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:01
7:01
7:00
7:00
7:00
6:58
6:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:02
5:02
5:04
5:04
5:05
5:06
5:06
 mm
1
Temp °C
18
16
13
15
14
12
16
15
14
15
15
14
15
15
14
16
16
14
17
17
14
Feels °C
12
10
8
10
10
9
11
10
11
12
13
12
13
12
12
14
14
13
14
13
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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