Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, S swell with 1,049 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 1.7m 13s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) 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 0.6m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking at Cowries.
We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s a mixed bag of quality and conditions. The first real standout kicks off Friday morning, July 24th, with a clean 4ft swell from the south and a light offshore breeze from the WSW. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild. The energy is moderate (300), and the period is 9 seconds – a decent combo for a fun, everyday wave. The wind stays in our favour through Saturday morning, July 25th, with a similar 4ft south swell and a light cross-offshore breeze, keeping the surface clean. The energy bumps up a notch (390). Saturday afternoon, July 25th, goes glassy with a 4ft south swell and has a nice, clean feel. Sunday morning, July 26th, is also looking tidy with a 5ft south swell and offshore wind, packing the most energy yet (428).
The real highlight, though, is the morning of Thursday, August 6th. That’s a big one. We’re looking at a 10ft swell from the southeast, glassy conditions, and a massive energy spike (1095). But listen, that’s serious size – over 8ft – so this is for experienced surfers only. Beginners should sit this one out. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it might be a bit lumpy, but the glassy wind will help.
The rest of the run is a bit up and down. Sunday afternoon, July 26th, gets a bit onshore and messy. Monday, July 27th, starts with a glassy 3ft but the wind turns onshore later. Tuesday, July 28th, is small and weak. Wednesday, July 29th, is a washout. There’s a stretch from late July 28th through most of July 29th where there’s almost nothing worth paddling out for. But things pick up again on Thursday, July 30th, with a 4ft south swell, though the wind is messy. Friday, July 31st, morning is a winner: glassy, 4ft from the SSE, and good energy (361). The first week of August sees a return of some small, ordinary waves, but the big highlight is definitely that Thursday, August 6th, morning. Late in the forecast, on Saturday, August 8th, there’s a massive 12ft swell from the ENE, but the call is it might be too big for this break, and the wind is a cross-shore. That’s a kite-surf setup if I’ve ever seen one.
Best bet for the average surfer: Friday morning, July 24th, or Saturday morning, July 25th. Best for the big-wave crew: Thursday morning, August 6th. Keep an eye on the long-range – that Thursday call is promising but not set in stone.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 16 | SSE 19 | S 11 | SSE 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 311 | 264 | 192 | 992 | 381 | 259 | 371 | 424 | 308 | 207 | 136 | 139 | 79 | 54 | 33 | 25 | 35 | 9 | 201 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:14AM0.88m | 4:34PM1.32m | 5:19AM0.88m | 5:25PM1.36m | 6:13AM0.91m | 6:10PM1.41m | 6:57AM0.95m | 6:52PM1.47m | 7:37AM0.99m | 7:32PM1.51m | 8:14AM1.03m | 8:09PM1.54m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:38PM0.46m | 9:40AM0.49m | 11:37PM0.41m | 10:35AM0.50m | 00:26AM0.36m | 11:28AM0.48m | 1:07AM0.30m | 12:15PM0.44m | 1:45AM0.24m | 12:58PM0.41m | 2:21AM0.20m | 1:39PM0.37m | 2:55AM0.16m | ||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | |  |  | |
 | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 10 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 4 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 19 | S 11 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | 311 | 264 | 177 | 992 | 381 | 259 | 371 | 424 | 308 | 207 | 136 | 139 | 79 | 54 | 33 | 10 | 35 | 9 | 132 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SE 15 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SSE 16 | S 7 | SE 13 | SSE 16 |
| kJ | 45 | 29 | 192 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 4 | 7 | 201 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 18 | NE 8 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | — | S 14 | SE 18 | NE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | S 18 | ENE 4 | SE 14 | S 16 | E 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 7 | 18 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | WSW 3 | — | WNW 3 | W 3 | — | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNE 3 | — | — | SSE 3 | — |
| kJ | 6 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 64 | 90 | 0 |
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.
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