Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, S swell with 893 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period with ENE 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 2.2m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Cowries has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s not shaping up to be a classic run, so we’ve got to pick our moments.
Overall, the first week and a half is pretty average. There’s a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind messing things up, with the swell jumping around but rarely lining up with the wind for clean conditions. The water temp is 64° for now, about average for this time of year.
The real standout window kicks off on Thursday, 20 August. Thursday morning at Cowries, we’ve got a solid 6ft swell rolling in from the ENE (which is right in its optimum direction), with a period of 9 seconds. The combined swell energy is strong (797). Winds are light and cross-offshore, keeping it clean. That’s the pick of the whole forecast: decent size, clean conditions, and the swell direction is threading the needle for this reef-and-point setup. Thursday afternoon sees the swell bump up to 7ft and the energy jumps to (1169), but it gets a bit more cross-shore—still manageable if you’re keen on bigger, more powerful lines.
Friday, 22 August, is also worth a paddle. Both the morning and afternoon have 5ft to 6ft ENE swell at 10 seconds, with clean offshore wind. The energy is moderate to strong (557 and 502). It’s a solid, reliable day with good shape, but Thursday morning just edges it because of that optimum direction and slightly better wind.
Before that, there’s a brief window on Friday, 14 August morning—glassy conditions with 4ft S swell (9 seconds, energy 333). It’s clean but small, and the swell direction isn’t ideal for Cowries. Worth a look if you’re desperate, but not a standout.
A heads-up: from mid-afternoon Sunday, 23 August, the wind cranks up near gale-force from the SSW, so things get messy quickly. After that, the last few days of the run stay marginal with moderate onshore winds and lumpy surf. Not worth getting excited about.
So, if you’re looking for the one true standout, make plans for Thursday morning, 20 August. Bring your best board and enjoy it while it lasts.
– Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Mon morning, light winds from the NW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 8°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 6 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | ENE 10 | S 12 | ENE 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 65 | 121 | 194 | 588 | 490 | 181 | 81 | 268 | 65 | 185 | 121 | 50 | 205 | 893 | 223 | 281 | 165 | 85 | 100 | 107 | 113 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 10:02AM1.31m | 10:05PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:53PM0.23m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — |
mm | — | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | ENE 10 | S 12 | S 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 7 | ENE 10 | SSE 6 |
| kJ | 65 | 121 | 80 | 588 | 490 | 181 | 81 | 268 | 47 | 185 | 121 | 50 | 205 | 568 | 223 | 281 | 165 | 85 | 100 | 18 | 113 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | SSE 8 | E 14 | S 13 | S 13 | E 13 | — | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SE 15 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 27 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 76 | 65 | 47 | 52 | 49 | 34 | 29 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 18 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | E 14 | SE 9 | — | — | — | S 12 | NNE 8 | S 12 | — | NNE 3 | — | — | — | SSE 15 | S 14 | — | S 19 | SSE 19 | S 14 | — |
| kJ | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 13 | 41 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 22 | 34 | — | 7 | 34 | 4 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 3 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NNW 4 | NW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 6 | — | WNW 3 | NNW 3 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | S 10 | W 2 | — | — | — | — | S 7 | — |
| kJ | 4 | 15 | 194 | 13 | 39 | 24 | 25 | — | 4 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 893 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 107 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 23 | 444 | 10 | 24 | 80 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 10 | 107 | 90 |
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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