
Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with 1,855 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period with E 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
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 on the menu for the next couple of weeks.
We’re looking at a pretty mixed bag. The first few days are a bit of a write-off – Sunday morning, the 19th of July, is where things finally start to look interesting. The water’s sitting at 65.3°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus.
The standout window is Sunday morning, the 19th of July. Cowries is a reef and point break, and it’s picking up a solid 5.6 ft swell from the ENE, with a long 11-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is light from the south, cross-offshore, and it’s going to be clean. The combined swell energy is 834 (moderate wave energy), and the whole setup just looks right. This is the best session on offer. Keep in mind it’s only a fairly consistent spot, and it can get crowded sometimes, so get in early.
Monday morning, the 20th, drops a little to 5.2 ft from the same direction, but the wind swings NNW and goes cross-shore, which isn’t quite as clean. Still surfable, but not the quality of Sunday morning.
Tuesday the 21st sees the swell drop to 4.3 ft, and the wind is a bit messy. By Wednesday the 22nd, we’re down to 3.3 ft, but the wind goes offshore from the west, cleaning things up. Small, but clean.
Then Thursday the 23rd, a new S swell pushes in at 5.9 ft but with a short 8-second period. The wind is cross-off from the SSW, so it’s clean, but the shorter period means it won’t have the same punch or shape as the Sunday swell.
The real second highlight looks like Friday the 24th, morning session. The swell is 5.9 ft from the south, period stretches to 10 seconds, and the wind is glassy – dead calm, off the water. The combined energy is 668 (moderate), and the conditions are set to be really good. That’s a solid morning.
After that, the swell backs off gradually. The weekend of the 26th and 27th has small, glassy waves in the mornings, but nothing to get excited about. The last week of July and into August sees a lot of onshore wind and poor conditions, with a brief spike of 6.2 ft on the 30th and 31st, but it’s from the SE and E with short period and cross-onshore wind, so it’s messy. That’s more kite-surfing weather than clean paddle surfing.
Overall, the best bet is Sunday morning, the 19th, and then Friday morning, the 24th. Don’t sleep on that Sunday session.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 7 | E 8 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
44 | 121 | 679 | 631 | 540 | 551 | 561 | 411 | 314 | 346 | 269 | 161 | 121 | 94 | 432 | 494 | 531 | 653 | 530 | 246 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | off |
High Tide | 11:20PM1.47m | 12:13PM1.24m | 00:08AM1.30m | 1:02PM1.25m | 00:59AM1.14m | 1:53PM1.26m | 1:56AM1.01m | 2:47PM1.27m | 3:03AM0.92m | 3:41PM1.29m | 4:14AM0.88m | 4:34PM1.32m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:06PM0.34m | 5:55AM0.13m | 6:04PM0.40m | 6:35AM0.23m | 7:07PM0.46m | 7:16AM0.32m | 8:16PM0.49m | 7:58AM0.40m | 9:29PM0.49m | 8:46AM0.46m | 10:38PM0.46m | 9:40AM0.49m | 11:37PM0.41m | |||||||
— | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 8 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 |
44 | 121 | 679 | 631 | 540 | 551 | 561 | 411 | 314 | 346 | 269 | 161 | 121 | 94 | 62 | 43 | 111 | 653 | 530 | 246 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 8 | S 17 | S 16 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | — | E 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
27 | 22 | 143 | 126 | 110 | 139 | 93 | 57 | 35 | 31 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 8 | — | 1 | 19 | 15 | 7 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 20 | SSE 18 | SE 17 | SE 16 | SE 16 | SSE 15 | SSE 15 | SE 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | S 12 | — | — | — | — | — | S 17 | S 15 |
40 | 64 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 23 | 21 | 8 | 21 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 18 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNW 2 | NNW 3 | NNE 4 | — | — | — | WSW 4 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | — | — | — |
2 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 2 | 29 | — | — | — | 13 | 432 | 494 | 531 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 57 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 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.










