Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 7 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, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 1,518 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 2.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) 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 | 7AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Cowries. We’ve got a bit of a slow burner this outlook, but there are a couple of windows where it’ll be worth wetting a line.
The overall pattern shows a solid pulse of swell mid-week, but it’s pretty raw and messy. The real standout is Friday the 10th, when the conditions finally line up. For the rest, it’s a waiting game, with a long quiet spell setting in from the 12th.
Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th July are a bit of a mixed bag. The swell is there, hitting 8 ft on Wednesday with a 10-second period from the SE, and the combined energy is strong (1481). But the wind is a cross-off from the SW, and it’s just not clean. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it. Thursday sees a drop to 5 ft, still with a cross-off wind, and the energy backs off (721). It’s okay, but nothing to write home about. The water temp is about average for the time of year.
Now, Friday morning, July 10th – this is the one. The swell drops to 5 ft from the SE, with a period of 9 seconds, but the magic is the wind. It’s glassy, light offshore from the WSW. Combined energy is a moderate 325. This is the cleanest session of the forecast. The break is a reef and point setup, which is ideal for this longer-period swell, so expect some proper lines. The crowd factor is “sometimes” here, so you might not have it all to yourself, but on a Friday morning, you’ve got a good shot. The afternoon turns onshore, so don’t sleep in.
Saturday 11th is a letdown after that. The swell drops to 4 ft, and by the afternoon it’s just 2 ft. The wind is cross-off, but the energy is weak (252). It’s a small, ordinary day.
From Sunday 12th July through to the end of the 16-day window, it’s a long dry spell. The swell drops out completely, with heights barely reaching 2 ft for days on end, and the energy is tiny (values under 100). We get some strong offshore winds on the 12th and 13th, but there’s just no swell to work with. There’s a blip of 6 ft on the 16th, but it’s from the S with a strong breeze, and the energy is moderate (815). The surf quality is rated poor, and with that wind and size, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session. The last week is a write-off for decent waves.
The one true standout is Friday morning, July 10th. Get on it early.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), 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 morning, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the W by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 11 | S 12 | S 8 | S 7 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1219 | 981 | 513 | 489 | 479 | 393 | 359 | 354 | 263 | 139 | 130 | 161 | 60 | 32 | 39 | 25 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 7 | 28 |
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 | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | 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 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 9 |
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 8 | SE 8 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 8 | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 10 | S 6 | SSE 17 |
| kJ | 1219 | 850 | 513 | 489 | 479 | 393 | 359 | 354 | 263 | 139 | 95 | 161 | 60 | 32 | 29 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 28 |
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 | SE 8 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | E 8 | S 21 | S 10 | S 6 |
| kJ | 198 | 440 | 366 | 226 | 104 | 61 | — | 9 | 41 | 119 | 130 | 31 | 9 | 2 | 39 | 25 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 19 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 | NE 5 | S 12 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 11 | E 10 | S 19 | S 9 |
| kJ | — | — | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | NNE 2 | NNW 3 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | W 4 | W 3 | W 3 | W 3 | W 3 | — | WNW 3 |
| kJ | — | 981 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 26 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 10 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 72 | 80 | 2 | 36 | 102 | 102 | 9 | 10 |
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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