
Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, NE swell with 895 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 (Aug 09) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s 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 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it.
The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a long flat spell to start, then a pulse of energy that’s worth keeping an eye on, but it’s gonna take a while to get there. The first real window of opportunity is next Thursday, and there’s another one lurking out there the following Sunday that could be the pick of the bunch.
Looking at Cowries, the early part of the week is a write-off. The swell is tiny, under 3ft, and what’s there is short-period windswell. The energy is weak, down around 79 to 97 on the gauge, and the winds are cross-shore or onshore. Not worth paddling out for.
Monday the 10th sees a bump in size, up to 6ft in the morning, but it’s coming from the ENE with a cross-off wind. The energy jumps to 591, which is solid, but the conditions are only marginal. The wind is fresh, and the quality is questionable. It’s a tease, really.
The real window opens up on Thursday the 13th. The swell drops a touch to 5ft but the direction swings around to the south, and the period is a clean 9 seconds. The wind is light offshore in the morning, which is a big plus. By the afternoon, it goes glassy with a period of 9 seconds and energy of 460. This is the standout of this first push. The water is 64°, which is about normal for this time of year. It’s a good, clean, beginner-friendly size. The morning is good, but that afternoon glass-off is the one to aim for.
Friday the 14th is still rideable, with 3ft and a 10-second period, and it’s glassy in the morning. But the onshore wind picks up later, and the energy drops to 227. It’s a shadow of the day before.
After that, it fades out again. The weekend and the start of the following week are mostly small and messy, with onshore or cross-shore winds. There’s a brief window on Wednesday the 19th with a glassy morning, but the swell is only 1-2ft. Not enough to get excited about.
Now, that long-range call. Sunday the 23rd is looking promising. The swell is back up to 4ft, but the period stretches out to 11 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The energy is up to 360, and it’s glassy in the morning. The wind is light, and the direction is ENE, which is the optimum for this spot. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon gets a bit cross-on, so the morning is the window. It’s over a week away, so I’d say it’s promising but not set in stone. The morning is the one.
So, two real standout windows: the Thursday the 13th afternoon, and that Sunday the 23rd morning. The rest is mostly small and average. The consistency isn’t great, with a lot of flat days in between, but when it does come, it cleans up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sat night, fresh winds from the NNE by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Wed night, calm by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | NE 6 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 12 | S 8 | S 10 | ENE 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
34 | 48 | 61 | 161 | 156 | 588 | 480 | 177 | 78 | 75 | 169 | 45 | 92 | 36 | 359 | 340 | 103 | 210 | 151 | 164 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | on | off |
High Tide | 4:05PM1.48m | 4:59AM0.98m | 5:09PM1.57m | 6:06AM1.03m | 6:08PM1.66m | 7:02AM1.10m | 7:01PM1.72m | 7:51AM1.17m | 7:51PM1.74m | 8:37AM1.23m | 8:37PM1.71m | 9:20AM1.28m | 9:22PM1.63m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:05PM0.25m | 10:26AM0.38m | 00:08AM0.14m | 11:31AM0.34m | 1:02AM0.05m | 12:29PM0.28m | 1:50AM-0.01m | 1:23PM0.24m | 2:35AM-0.03m | 2:14PM0.21m | 3:16AM-0.02m | 3:04PM0.21m | 3:54AM0.03m | |||||||
— | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 12 | S 8 | S 10 | ENE 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
34 | 48 | 61 | 161 | 84 | 588 | 480 | 177 | 78 | 75 | 169 | 45 | 92 | 36 | 359 | 340 | 103 | 210 | 151 | 164 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 6 | NE 10 | SSE 8 | E 14 | S 13 | S 13 | E 13 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | S 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
15 | 6 | 27 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 47 | 32 | 36 | 24 | 19 | 102 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 14 | SE 9 | — | — | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | — | S 10 | — | E 13 | NE 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 20 | SSE 16 | S 19 |
29 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 33 | — | 3 | 2 | 18 | 19 | 7 | 24 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 2 | NE 3 | NNE 3 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | W 3 | W 3 | W 3 | WNW 3 | — | WNW 2 | SW 5 | WSW 5 | W 2 | WSW 4 | W 3 | ESE 2 | — |
1 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 156 | 18 | 37 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | 60 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 536 | 0 | 23 | 17 | 496 | 10 | 234 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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.











