Cowries Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.58° S 150.88° E

Cowries Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cowries sea temperature is
17.8°C
0.5° 

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


Cowries surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SSE swell with 1,831 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period with S 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 10PM. 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Sat 5th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 10s
Best Surf 7PM (Wed 9th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 8s
Most Powerful10PM (Wed 9th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 9s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next two weeks or so for Cowries. It’s a reef and point setup, pretty exposed to the swell, and the best direction for it is from the ENE. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild to report there.

Right off the bat, you’ve got to be patient. The first few days are a bit of a letdown. Saturday morning, the 5th, is small with a 2ft S swell, and a cross-on breeze from the NNE at 6 mph. Not worth paddling out. The afternoon is a little cleaner but still tiny. Sunday morning, the 6th, sees a bump in the swell to 3ft from the SSW, and the wind swings offshore from the WSW at 15 mph, which cleans it up, but it’s still pretty weak overall. Sunday afternoon, though, the swell jumps to 8ft from the S, but the period is a short 6 seconds, and there’s a cross-off wind. The energy is high, but that short period and the size will make it a bit of a mess – more for the brave or the kite crew.

Monday the 7th is a cracker of a morning. Glassy conditions, NNE wind at just 3 mph, and a clean 5ft SSE swell with an 8-second period. The energy is moderate, and it’s glassy. That’s a real standout for a dawn session if you can get out. The afternoon gets a bit cross-choppy though.

Now, let’s talk about the real highlight. Tuesday morning, the 8th of September. The swell is a solid 7ft from the SSE, period up to 10 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-off from the SSE at 3 mph. This is the best on offer. The energy is strong, and the conditions are described as “very good.” This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon gets onshore from the NE, so morning is the key.

The rest of that week is a bit of a mixed bag. Wednesday the 9th has a 4ft swell in the morning but a stiff 15 mph cross-off wind, which makes it a bit bumpy. Thursday the 10th sees a clean 7ft S swell with a 12 mph cross-off, but it’s flagged as marginal. Friday the 11th morning is clean and nice with 4ft SSE swell and light winds, a good session if you missed Tuesday.

Saturday the 12th is clean and small (4ft), and then Sunday the 13th brings a long-period groundswell from the SSE at 17 seconds, but it’s only 3ft and cross-on. That long period at a point break like Cowries could produce some nice lines, but the energy is high for the size, so it’ll be fat and walled up. Worth a look if you’re patient.

After that, the second week drops off. Monday the 14th through to the 20th is mostly small, weak, and plagued by cross-on winds. The 15th has a glassy morning (3ft, 10-second period), but it’s weak and ordinary. The 16th and 17th are tiny. The 18th and 19th are poor. The 20th is a moderate cross-on at 12 mph and 4ft – not great.

So, the standout is Tuesday morning, the 8th of September. That’s your best window. The Monday morning before it (7th) is also a solid glassy option. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too marginal. The crowd at Cowries can be around sometimes, but on a Tuesday morning in September, you should have a decent shot at a few waves to yourself.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sat night, calm by Mon morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Tue morning, fresh winds from the S by Wed afternoon).

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
1
2
4
1
0
2
3
0
1
0
0
2
2
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
S
11
0.6
S
9
0.5
S
10
0.4
S
9
0.8
SSW
6
2.4
S
9
2.4
S
9
1.4
SSE
8
1.4
SSE
9
3
SSE
9
2
SSE
10
2.1
SSE
10
1.5
SSE
10
1.3
SSE
9
2.1
SSE
6
3
SSE
9
2.1
S
8
2
SSE
9
1.6
SSE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
57
58
44
28
47
979
937
251
297
1407
886
952
391
268
339
1713
632
613
454
Wind (km/h)
10
NNW
10
NNE
15
WNW
30
W
25
WSW
20
S
15
WSW
5
NE
15
SSE
25
SSW
5
SSE
15
NE
15
NNW
25
SSW
35
S
25
SSW
20
SSW
15
SSE
10
WSW
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
High Tide
2:21AM0.95m
2:40PM1.41m
3:47AM0.95m
3:54PM1.46m
5:00AM1.00m
4:59PM1.53m
5:58AM1.09m
5:56PM1.59m
6:46AM1.18m
6:46PM1.62m
7:29AM1.27m
7:33PM1.61m
Low Tide
7:51AM0.46m
9:47PM0.29m
9:09AM0.47m
10:57PM0.22m
10:24AM0.42m
11:54PM0.14m
11:28AM0.35m
00:42AM0.07m
12:24PM0.28m
1:24AM0.04m
1:15PM0.22m
2:02AM0.04m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:09
6:07
6:07
6:05
6:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:39
5:39
5:40
5:42
5:43
5:43
 mm
Temp °C
17
27
28
19
19
18
14
18
16
14
15
15
13
16
13
13
14
13
12
Feels °C
14
23
25
14
15
14
11
15
13
8
12
12
10
11
5
5
9
9
9
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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