
Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 8 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s period, SE swell with 1,422 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s 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 Wednesday (Jul 08) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 2.2m and 10s is also forecast. 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 2.3m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 7PM. 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for Cowries over the next couple of weeks.
We start off Wednesday morning, July 8, with a solid 8ft SE swell rolling in, packing a good punch of energy (1498). The wind is a cross-off from the SW at 12 mph, which will keep things reasonably clean. It’s a bit of a meaty size for this reef and point set-up though. For the morning session, this is decent but not perfect. The water temp is 66°, about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that's pleasant. The afternoon holds similar conditions, just a touch smaller at 8ft, but the energy jumps right up (2271), meaning there's plenty of power in the water. We get a bit of a lull Thursday morning, July 9, with 6ft from the SE (767) and a light cross-off breeze. It’ll be clean but the score is only moderate. Thursday afternoon sees a drop in quality with rain showers and a cross-shore wind messing things up.
Friday morning, July 10, brings back some hope: 5ft SE swell (409) with clean conditions and barely any wind. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. The weekend fades fast. Saturday morning, July 11, drops to 3ft, and by Saturday afternoon we’re down to 2ft with a stiffening crosswind. Sunday through to Wednesday of the next week is essentially flat – heights under 2ft across the board. That’s a solid 4-day gap with nothing worthwhile.
Then things get interesting. Thursday, July 16, morning brings a serious pulse: 8ft from the south (1987), with a clean moderate offshore wind from the SW at 12 mph. That’s going to be excellent for experienced surfers. By Thursday afternoon, the swell jumps to a mammoth 15ft from the south (9553) with a 13-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. This is way too big for this break, honestly. It’s only for experts, and even then, the raw power is off the charts. The morning of Friday, July 17, is still huge at 10ft (2555), with a clean light offshore. That’s the standout window: Thursday morning through Friday morning. After that, Saturday, July 18, morning sees it drop back to a nice 6ft (627) with glassy conditions – that’s a gem for the crew looking for a clean, mellow session.
From Sunday onward, it’s inconsistent and small again, with a brief bump on Monday, July 20, morning of 7ft (898), but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weak and crumby. The rest of the run looks flat or marginal.
The pick of the entire forecast is Thursday morning, July 16, through to Friday morning, July 17. If you’re experienced, the Thursday morning 8ft pulse is the one. The Friday morning 10ft is also solid. Just be aware, the reef and point setup can handle the long period swell better than a beach break, so that’s a plus. Crowds are possible here sometimes, so get in early.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the W by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 9 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1300 | 981 | 513 | 535 | 489 | 359 | 402 | 399 | 269 | 145 | 123 | 104 | 62 | 36 | 41 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 34 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:29PM1.30m | 2:31AM1.09m | 3:26PM1.39m | 3:46AM1.05m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:46PM0.45m | 8:41AM0.29m | 10:01PM0.37m | 9:39AM0.31m | 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 | ||||||||
7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
— | 4:59 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 9 | S 7 | S 12 | S 8 | S 11 | S 8 | S 10 |
1300 | 850 | 513 | 535 | 489 | 359 | 402 | 399 | 269 | 145 | 95 | 104 | 62 | 36 | 41 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 34 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 13 | — | S 21 | ESE 14 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | ESE 10 | S 12 | S 6 | S 11 | S 7 | S 10 | S 7 |
198 | 440 | 366 | 226 | 75 | 82 | — | 9 | 20 | 115 | 123 | 31 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 19 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 19 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 20 | S 21 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 | NE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 10 | — | E 10 |
— | — | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | — | — | — | NE 2 | NNW 4 | W 4 | W 4 | W 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | WNW 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | NW 3 |
— | 981 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | 1 | 13 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 117 | 29 | 2 | 36 | 98 | 95 | 129 | 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.










