Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NE swell with 403 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. 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 1.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a grind, but if you’ve got patience, there’s a window that’ll make it all worthwhile. We’re talking about Cowries, a reef and point break that’s fairly exposed to the swell. The water’s sitting at 64°, which is about bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first few days are pretty flat and ordinary. Tuesday morning the 1st of September sees a tiny 3 ft south swell, but with a cross-shore wind it’s messy and not worth paddling out. Wednesday the 2nd is clean but the swell drops to 2 ft – barely a ripple. Thursday the 3rd has a bit of offshore wind, but the swell is just 2 ft, and the energy is weak (83). It’s a wait-and-see zone. Friday the 4th is similar, with a weak 3 ft swell and light cross-off wind, but it’s still too small to get excited about. Saturday the 5th gets a 4 ft NNE swell, but with a short period of 6 seconds, it’s just lumpy and weak (160). Sunday the 6th through to Tuesday the 8th is a mix of onshore winds and tiny swells – keep the board in the car.
Then, bang. Wednesday the 9th of September morning is where it finally turns on. A clean 7 ft south swell with a 10-second period rolls in, and the energy jumps to moderate (817). The wind is light and cross-off, so the waves will be clean and lined up. This is your first real chance. But the standout is Thursday the 10th of September morning. Glassy conditions, a 8 ft SSE swell with a 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The energy is strong (1517), and this is the best of the forecast. This is a solid size for Cowries, so it’s for experienced surfers only. The waves will have some punch, and with glassy wind, it’ll be a dream. Expect crowds here, as it’s a spot that gets attention.
After that, it fades fast. Friday the 11th drops to a weak 4 ft, and by Saturday the 12th, we’re back to tiny 2 ft swells. The second week is a dud – Sunday the 13th through to Wednesday the 16th of September has nothing above 4 ft, and the energy is mostly weak (under 100). The wind is clean, but there’s just no swell to work with.
So, overall, the best on offer is that Thursday the 10th of September morning. It’s a proper session if you’re experienced. The Wednesday morning before it is also a solid option. The rest is a write-off – a good time to rest up or fix your dings.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the E by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | S 7 | S 10 | NNE 6 | S 9 | NE 7 | S 9 | S 8 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 149 | 138 | 98 | 77 | 73 | 49 | 53 | 52 | 32 | 111 | 39 | 74 | 81 | 27 | 21 | 162 | 127 | 390 | 190 | 122 | 236 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 10:44AM1.40m | 10:58PM1.23m | 11:29AM1.41m | 11:52PM1.11m | 12:23PM1.40m | 00:58AM1.01m | 1:27PM1.40m | 2:21AM0.95m | 2:40PM1.41m | 3:47AM0.95m | 3:54PM1.46m | 5:00AM1.00m | 4:59PM1.53m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:59PM0.28m | 5:02AM0.26m | 5:57PM0.31m | 5:47AM0.33m | 7:06PM0.34m | 6:42AM0.40m | 8:26PM0.34m | 7:51AM0.46m | 9:47PM0.29m | 9:09AM0.47m | 10:57PM0.22m | 10:24AM0.42m | 11:54PM0.14m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | |  |  | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 |
Temp °C | 25 | 23 | 19 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 25 | 23 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 20 | 21 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 22 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | S 7 | S 10 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | S 9 | S 8 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 149 | 138 | 98 | 77 | 73 | 49 | 53 | 52 | 32 | 111 | 39 | 74 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 162 | 127 | 390 | 190 | 122 | 236 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | NE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 10 | NE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 | NE 4 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | NE 7 | E 10 | ENE 4 | E 10 | E 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 9 | 25 | 5 | 49 | 27 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 94 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 12 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | NNE 6 | — | — | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 10 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 30 | 19 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 3 | — | — | 34 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | NE 5 | N 2 | — | — | NW 2 | WNW 2 | WSW 3 | WSW 4 | — | NE 3 | — | NNE 6 | WNW 4 | WSW 3 | — | NE 6 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 54 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | — | 5 | — | 81 | 22 | 1 | — | 6 | 14 | 21 | 99 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 117 | 2 | 8 | 69 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 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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