
Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SSE swell with 2,006 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s 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 (Jul 04) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 04) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 4th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, this is Rusty.
First up, we’ve got a solid run of waves on the cards for Cowries, starting from this Saturday, July 4th. It’s not a classic kick-off, but there’s something brewing. Saturday morning is the best of that first weekend. You’re looking at 3ft south swell with the wind swinging offshore from the west-southwest. It’s light, it’s clean, and the combined energy is moderate (184). It’s surfable, but the energy is still building.
Now, things get serious pretty quick. By Sunday the 5th, it’s going to jump up. We’re talking a solid 8ft swell from the south and south-southeast, with the period stretching to 11 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy vaults into the strong range (1651). The wind is a bit of a cross-off from the south-southwest, which will straighten it up a little, but it’s a punchy 25 km/h breeze. That morning window looks the cleanest. This is the standout for that first full week. For experienced surfers only at that size.
Through Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th, the swell hangs in the 8ft to 8ft range, still from the SSE. The energy stays high (1959, 2073). The wind holds cross-off, so the shape should be reasonable. It’s solid, consistent, but the quality is marked as marginal, likely due to tide and that strong south swell direction not being an absolute perfect match for the break’s optimum. That said, there’s plenty of power.
We start to wind down after that. The swell holds into the 9th, even hitting a peak of 10ft on Thursday afternoon with massive energy (3415). But heading into the second week, from the 11th of July, it fades. Saturday the 11th morning offers a brief window of 5ft swell from the SE with glassy, offshore conditions from the north-west. The energy is weak (359). It’s clean but small.
Then there’s a real dead spell. From Sunday the 12th through to Monday the 13th, the swell drops to under 2ft. The energy is weak (39). Nothing doing.
The pulse returns on Tuesday, July 14th. The morning looks good: a 6ft south swell with a gentle offshore breeze from the WSW, giving you clean waves and moderate energy (584). The swell period is a short 9 seconds, so it won’t be the deepest, but it’s rideable. The afternoon builds to 8ft, but the wind goes cross-shore, introducing ripple. The 15th holds on with a 5ft south swell and clean conditions, but the energy is dropping (459). After that, it’s a slow fade into the end of the 16-day run, with small, unappealing swell and weak energy. A small 3ft south swell on the 17th might be worth a check if you’re desperate.
Crowds at Cowries can be a problem, so expect company on those better days. The water temp? I can’t give you the exact number from here, but there’s no drastic anomaly flagged for that first break I mentioned, so it’s likely about average for this time of year.
So, the best on offer is hands down the morning of Sunday, July 5th, and the morning of Tuesday, July 14th. The Sunday is the heavy hitter. The Tuesday is the sneaky clean one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Fri 10 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 9 | S 8 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 166 | 108 | 632 | 1641 | 1847 | 1263 | 937 | 1117 | 1100 | 1053 | 1049 | 1040 | 832 | 978 | 1405 | 896 | 1976 | 1175 | 961 | 831 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:21PM1.47m | 11:16AM1.06m | 10:59PM1.41m | 11:59AM1.11m | 11:40PM1.34m | 12:45PM1.16m | 00:27AM1.26m | 1:35PM1.22m | 1:24AM1.17m | 2:29PM1.30m | 2:31AM1.09m | 3:26PM1.39m | 3:46AM1.05m | 4:24PM1.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:10AM0.19m | 4:40PM0.46m | 5:45AM0.20m | 5:30PM0.49m | 6:22AM0.21m | 6:27PM0.50m | 7:03AM0.23m | 7:33PM0.49m | 7:49AM0.26m | 8:46PM0.45m | 8:41AM0.29m | 10:01PM0.37m | 9:39AM0.31m | ||||||||
— | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | |
— | — | 4:57 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 6 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | ENE 8 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
24 | 166 | 108 | 107 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 833 | 804 | 815 | 1049 | 1040 | 832 | 643 | 1117 | 516 | 1439 | 1175 | 961 | 831 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | S 11 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 16 | E 14 | S 10 | SE 14 | S 11 | S 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | S 18 | SE 10 | — | SE 14 | — | — |
16 | 15 | 9 | 123 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 249 | 49 | 141 | 67 | 192 | 226 | 6 | 369 | — | 46 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | E 13 | E 12 | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | E 16 | — | ESE 13 | S 16 | — | — | S 15 | — | SE 14 | — | SE 13 | — | — |
3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 156 | 5 | — | — | 4 | — | 99 | — | 63 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | WSW 3 | — | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | — | — | — | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 11 | — | — | — |
9 | 2 | — | 632 | 1641 | 1847 | 1263 | 937 | 1117 | 1100 | 1053 | — | — | — | 978 | 1405 | 896 | 1976 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 0 | 24 | 9 | 10 | 112 | 146 | 19 | 19 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
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.










