Cowries Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.58° S 150.88° E

Cowries Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 10 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cowries sea temperature is
18.4° C
1.0° 

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


Cowries surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 2,795 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period with SE 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 (Jul 10) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 12s. 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 3.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) 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 0.7m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Fri 10th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 9s
Best Surf 7PM (Wed 15th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Most Powerful10AM (Fri 17th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 11s

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


G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up for Cowries over the next couple of weeks. The water’s sitting at 65°, which is about 2° warmer than you’d normally expect this time of year – nothing crazy, but noticeable.

The window kicks off this Friday morning, July 10, with a solid 5ft SE swell and a 9-second period. The energy’s moderate (582), and with a light cross-off SSW breeze at 6 mph, the surf is clean and rideable. It’s a decent start, but the afternoon gets a bit wonky with cross-shore winds and a drop in quality.

Saturday morning, July 11, is the real standout early on. The swell drops to 4ft from the SE, but the wind goes glassy – NNW at 3 mph. The waves are clean, the energy is moderate (352), and it’s a perfect time for a beginner-friendly session. Crowds can show up sometimes, so get in early. The afternoon turns cross-on and choppy, so morning is the move.

Sunday, July 12, sees the swell drop to 2ft, and even though the wind is cross-off, there’s barely any energy (94). Monday and Tuesday, July 13–14, are flat – just tiny 0.7ft–1ft junk with no real push. You’re looking at a few days of nothing worth paddling for.

Then things shift. Wednesday, July 15, brings a building 7ft S swell in the morning, jumping to 10ft by afternoon, but the period is short (8 seconds) and the wind is fresh cross-off at 19 mph. The energy is strong (744 morning, 1122 afternoon), but it’s messy and marginal for Cowries. Not the best.

Thursday, July 16, is a solid call. The swell sits at 8ft from the SSE, short period (7 seconds), but the wind is light cross-off and the energy is strong (709). The morning is clean and offers very good waves, but at this size, it’s better for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy.

Now, the real standout is Friday, July 17. The morning shows a 12ft ESE swell with a 11-second period and a light cross-off breeze. The energy is massive (5126), and while the forecast says the swell might be too big for this break, the afternoon session is rated excellent for experienced surfers with 10ft waves and good energy (2142). If you’re a pro, this is the best on offer.

Saturday, July 18, keeps the energy high with 8ft ESE swell in the morning, light cross-off winds, and very good conditions. The energy is 1269. The afternoon turns cross-shore, so morning is key.

By Sunday, July 19, the swell is 8ft from the ESE with a long 12-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, making it a bit messy. The energy is still strong (1759), but it’s not the cleanest.

The second week settles down. Monday, July 20, brings 4ft from the ESE with light cross-off winds – clean and good. Tuesday, July 21, sees 4ft–4ft with offshore winds, good for a session. Wednesday, July 22, keeps the trend with 4ft–3ft, clean and offshore. Thursday, July 23, is windier with fresh offshore gusts, but the swell is still around 4ft. Friday, July 24, morning is the best of the late run: 5ft from the E with light offshore winds, very good energy (873), and clean conditions. Saturday, July 25, morning is 5ft from the ESE with light cross-off winds, but the afternoon turns cross-on and choppy.

Overall, the best are Saturday morning, July 11, for the glassy clean beginner-friendly waves, and Friday, July 17, afternoon for the big swell action for experts. The rest of the week has some fun but nothing to write home about.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Sun morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds.

Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
2
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
2
3
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
SE
9
1.6
SE
10
1.3
SE
9
1.1
SE
9
0.9
ESE
11
0.9
ESE
10
0.6
ESE
10
0.5
ESE
10
0.4
SSW
9
0.3
S
12
0.2
S
11
0.3
S
7
0.2
S
6
0.2
S
11
0.9
S
7
2
S
8
3
S
8
2.5
S
8
2.5
SSE
7
2.4
SSE
7
2.4
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
449
456
307
190
176
149
77
54
29
24
10
9
3
9
85
478
1116
736
687
595
1044
Wind (km/h)
10
SSW
10
SSE
10
WNW
5
NNW
15
NNE
15
NNW
30
W
25
W
20
W
20
W
25
W
20
NW
15
WSW
20
W
15
WSW
30
SW
30
SSW
20
SSW
15
SW
20
SSW
15
SSE
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
High Tide
4:24PM1.49m
5:01AM1.03m
5:22PM1.59m
6:10AM1.05m
6:18PM1.69m
7:11AM1.08m
7:13PM1.76m
8:07AM1.12m
8:05PM1.80m
8:59AM1.15m
8:55PM1.79m
9:48AM1.18m
9:44PM1.73m
Low Tide
11:11PM0.26m
10:39AM0.31m
00:15AM0.15m
11:39AM0.30m
1:13AM0.05m
12:37PM0.28m
2:07AM-0.03m
1:32PM0.25m
2:58AM-0.07m
2:26PM0.24m
3:45AM-0.06m
3:18PM0.25m
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
rain showers
cloud
rain showers
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:01
7:01
7:01
7:01
7:01
7:01
7:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:00
5:00
5:00
5:01
5:02
5:02
5:04
 mm
2
1
2
Temp °C
15
15
13
17
17
14
13
13
13
17
16
13
17
16
12
13
14
13
14
14
14
Feels °C
13
13
11
14
13
10
6
6
7
11
10
8
12
11
6
5
7
8
10
9
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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