Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, SSW swell with 808 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s 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 (Aug 08) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 2.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here.
We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up at Cowries over the next couple of weeks. The water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The outlook starts off pretty flat and ordinary. The first few days are a write-off. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are mostly small, with weak, messy energy and onshore or cross-shore winds. You’re not missing anything.
Monday the 10th sees a bit more size, with swell around 6 ft, but the wind is howling from the NNW at 16 mph, making it a choppy mess. The energy is moderate, but the conditions are poor. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The real standout window is Thursday the 13th. That morning, we’ve got a solid 8 ft groundswell rolling in from the SSW with a period of 9 seconds and a clean offshore wind from the WSW at 9 mph. The combined energy is strong. This is the best on offer. Cowries is a reef and point break, so it should handle this size well, though at 8 ft, it’s getting into expert territory. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
Following that, Friday the 14th morning is glassy with 4 ft of S swell, but it’s only ordinary conditions. The energy drops right off.
The second week looks much more lackluster. There’s a stretch from Sunday the 17th through to Thursday the 21st of poor conditions with onshore winds and weak, short-period swell. A few glimmers of clean surf on the 21st afternoon and 22nd morning, but the swell is small and the energy is only moderate. Nothing to get excited about.
So, for the best surf, target Thursday the 13th at Cowries. That’s your standout.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NW by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Wed morning, light winds from the SSE by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 9 | S 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 33 | 44 | 34 | 48 | 65 | 161 | 277 | 573 | 404 | 170 | 73 | 71 | 155 | 121 | 61 | 37 | 808 | 709 | 169 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:40AM0.97m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:16AM0.40m | 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 | |||||||
 |  | |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 10 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | S 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | ENE 10 | S 9 | S 10 | S 8 |
| kJ | 28 | 44 | 34 | 48 | 65 | 161 | 71 | 573 | 404 | 170 | 73 | 71 | 155 | 121 | 56 | 37 | 335 | 709 | 169 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 7 | NE 4 | NE 10 | SSE 8 | E 14 | S 13 | S 13 | E 13 | SW 6 | S 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 33 | 31 | 15 | 5 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 45 | 52 | 61 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | NE 5 | E 14 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | — | — | — | — | N 7 |
| kJ | 18 | 16 | 29 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 2 | NNW 2 | N 2 | N 3 | ENE 7 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | NW 3 | W 3 | W 3 | NW 3 | NNW 4 | W 3 | SW 4 | SSW 9 | — | WSW 3 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 277 | 15 | 27 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 20 | 808 | — | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 444 | 10 | 23 | 80 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 154 | 24 | 0 | 69 | 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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