Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 24 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) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, SSE swell with 1,233 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s 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 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. 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 1.8m 14s 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 0.5m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
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's on the cards for Cowries.
We've got a solid run of surf coming up, starting this Friday morning. The water's sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 66°, so you won't need the thickest rubber.
Friday morning, July 24th is the standout of the whole outlook. It's not the biggest, but it's going to be clean. We've got a 5ft south swell wrapping in, with a light offshore breeze from the southwest. The combined energy is moderate at 675, and the conditions are set to be clean. This is the one to get out for if you can.
The swell drops off a bit for Friday afternoon as the wind swings cross-on, making it pretty average. Saturday morning, July 25th sees a return to form with a 5ft south swell and offshore wind again, making for clean 5ft sets. The energy is moderate (450). Saturday afternoon goes glassy, but the swell drops to 4ft, so it's more of a cruiser session.
Sunday morning, July 26th is another good call. The swell bumps back up to 6ft from the south, with a light offshore breeze. The energy is strong at 612, so there'll be some push behind it. Sunday afternoon gets messy with the cross-on wind.
We then hit a long flat spell. From Monday afternoon, July 27th all the way through to Monday morning, August 3rd, there's very little to get excited about. The swell drops right out, and the wind is all over the shop. It's a proper lull.
Things start to look interesting again on Tuesday morning, August 4th. It's a very early look, so don't book the time off yet, but the forecast shows a 6ft south swell with glassy conditions. The period is short at 7 seconds, so it'll be a bit lumpy and less powerful, but it's a solid sign of life after the flat spell. Wednesday morning, August 5th is similar, with a 5ft south swell and a clean offshore cross-off wind.
The best bet in that second week is looking like Thursday morning, August 6th, with a meaty 5ft south swell, glassy conditions, and strong combined energy of 479. Again, the swell period is short around 7 seconds, so it'll be a bit of a lumpy, soft wave, but clean and plentiful.
Saturday morning, August 8th is a curious one. The swell is smaller at 3ft, but the period stretches out to 12 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The conditions are glassy, and the energy is moderate at 300. For a point setup like Cowries, that longer period could really tidy things up and offer some proper lines.
The bottom line: Friday morning, July 24th is your best bet. After that, Thursday morning, August 6th is the long-range one to keep an eye on.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 7°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 13 | S 8 | S 7 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 440 | 244 | 1009 | 441 | 255 | 345 | 609 | 400 | 251 | 165 | 132 | 68 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 428 | 209 | 490 | 275 | 281 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | cross-off | off | glassy | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 8:50AM1.07m | 8:44PM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 2:18PM0.35m | 3:27AM0.14m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 13 | E 13 | SSE 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 |
| kJ | 199 | 181 | 1009 | 441 | 255 | 345 | 609 | 400 | 251 | 165 | 132 | 68 | 22 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 26 | 490 | 275 | 281 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | SSE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SE 14 | NE 3 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 14 | — | SE 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 13 |
| kJ | 29 | 244 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 8 | — | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | NE 8 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | — | S 14 | SE 18 | NE 8 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | E 8 | — | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 7 | 18 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | — | WNW 3 | W 3 | — | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 2 | N 4 | — | WNW 3 | SSW 3 | S 8 | S 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 440 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 7 | 428 | 209 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 9 | 129 | 179 | 57 | 287 | 0 | 10 | 57 | 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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