Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 464 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period with SSE 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s 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 1.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let's have a look at what's on the table for Cowries. The water's sitting at 64°, which is pretty much bang on for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
The first real chance to get wet is Friday morning, the 28th of August. We've got a clean 5 ft swell rolling in from the SSE, with a period of 11 seconds and a moderate combined energy of 597. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW, so the faces will be tidy. It's a good, clean start. The afternoon turns a bit average with onshore winds, but the morning is the pick.
Saturday the 29th keeps things going. Another clear morning, with a 4 ft SSE swell, 10-second period, 368 energy, and a light cross-off breeze from the south. It's clean again, a solid session for the morning. Sunday the 30th is a bit smaller, with a 3 ft south swell, 9-second period, and 220 energy, but the wind is a light cross-off, so it's still surfable and clean.
After that, the week from Monday the 31st through to Thursday the 3rd of September gets pretty ordinary. The swell drops right off, down to 1 ft, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-shore. There's a few days where it's barely worth paddling out, with energy levels dropping to just 37 to 48.
We get a little bump on Saturday the 5th of September morning, with a 3 ft south swell, 8-second period, and 128 energy. The wind is light cross-off, so it's clean but not much power. Sunday the 6th morning has a clean 2 ft south swell with a proper offshore from the WSW, so it's glassy, but again, small.
Now, here's a standout to keep an eye on. Monday the 7th of September morning sees a massive jump in swell – a 12 ft south swell, 10-second period, and a huge combined energy of 3561. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore. This is a big, powerful swell, but it's too big for this break. The note says it's too big for Cowries, so this is a miss for the paddle surfers – it'd be more interesting for the kite crew on a beach setup.
The rest of the second week, from the 8th through to the 12th of September, is pretty flat or messy. The 12th of September morning has a clean 2 ft SSE swell with a light offshore, but it's very ordinary.
So, the best on offer is Friday the 28th of August morning, and Saturday the 29th of August morning. Both are clean, fun, and manageable. The big one on the 7th of September is a miss for Cowries. Keep it in mind for a different spot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
511 | 446 | 261 | 241 | 181 | 131 | 123 | 203 | 275 | 140 | 166 | 103 | 158 | 149 | 102 | 71 | 48 | 31 | 19 | 18 | 23 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:17PM1.52m | 8:51AM1.27m | 8:53PM1.49m | 9:26AM1.33m | 9:31PM1.42m | 10:03AM1.37m | 10:12PM1.33m | 10:44AM1.40m | 10:58PM1.23m | 11:29AM1.41m | 11:52PM1.11m | 12:23PM1.40m | 00:58AM1.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:00PM0.29m | 2:46AM0.12m | 2:41PM0.26m | 3:17AM0.12m | 3:23PM0.25m | 3:49AM0.14m | 4:09PM0.26m | 4:24AM0.19m | 4:59PM0.28m | 5:02AM0.26m | 5:57PM0.31m | 5:47AM0.33m | 7:06PM0.34m | ||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 24 | 22 | 18 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 25 | 20 | 22 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 10 |
511 | 26 | 261 | 241 | 181 | 131 | 123 | 203 | 275 | 140 | 166 | 103 | 158 | 149 | 102 | 71 | 48 | 31 | 11 | 5 | 19 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | SSW 11 | NE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 |
27 | 40 | 17 | 102 | 109 | 76 | 71 | 25 | 59 | 130 | 100 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 33 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 23 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | SSE 15 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 5 | NE 5 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | NE 6 |
59 | 39 | 34 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 20 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 44 | 13 | 22 | 20 | 34 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 14 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 2 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NNW 2 | NNW 3 | NNE 5 | NW 2 | WNW 3 | W 3 | — |
— | 446 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 5 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 3 | 69 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
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.











