
Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, S swell with 334 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with SE 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 1.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board, let’s talk about what’s on the menu at Cowries.
This is looking like a classic case of patience paying off. We’ve got a stretch of small, unremarkable surf ahead, but there’s a proper pulse of swell charging in on the horizon. The start of this week is going to be flat and frustrating, but if you can wait it out, there’s a real gem waiting for you.
Right now, through the 4th, it’s tiny and messy. There’s basically nothing to get excited about, a few ankle-biters at best. The winds are a bit all over the place, so it’s not even worth the paddle. You’d be better off doing a reef walk or just watching the horizon.
We stay in that holding pattern for the next few days. The 5th and 6th see a little bump in energy, with the swell direction swinging around to the south, but it’s still small and the periods are short. It’s surfable, but you’ll be fighting for crumbly shoulders. The morning of the 6th is glassy, which is nice, but that small 4ft at 9 seconds just doesn’t have any punch. Then the wind turns onshore and it gets messy again.
The weekend rolls in and the surf stays pretty weak. A few clean mornings on the 8th and 11th, but the swell is just too small to make any of it worthwhile. We’re talking shin-to-knee high dribble. During this period, the energy is still pretty weak, sitting in the 60-100 range for the combined swell.
We finally see a bit of life on the 12th. The morning is clean with some cross-offshore wind and the swell is starting to push up to 3ft. The afternoon, however, sees a jump to 6ft but the period drops right off to 6 seconds and the wind turns cross-onshore. That’s a recipe for close-outs and chop, not the clean lines we’re after.
The 13th and 14th are a bit of a write-off. We get some strong offshore winds on the 13th, but it’s still tiny. Then on the 14th, the period jumps up to 12 seconds from the SSE, which gives the waves a bit more push, but the cross-shore winds and piles of energy (283) are just making it lumpy.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Mark your calendars for Monday, August 17th. This is the standout of the entire outlook. The swell is coming in from the south at a solid 6ft to 7ft with a long, powerful 12-second period. The combined energy is massive, hitting over 1000, which tells you there’s some serious power in the water. And the winds? The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore, and by the afternoon, it goes glassy. This is about as good as it gets. Cowries (a reef and point setup) loves this kind of long-period south swell, handling the power much better than a beach break would.
This is going to be a proper day, but it’s also getting up there in size, so it’s not for beginners. This is for the crew who know their way around a bigger wave.
We do have some swell left over on Tuesday the 18th, as it drops down to 5ft from the south, but it’s a step down in quality and energy from the day before. It’ll still be worth a paddle, but the 17th is the one to circle.
So, the game plan is simple. Sit out the small stuff, get your gear ready, and be at Cowries on Monday, the 17th. That’s your window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 13 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 9 | S 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
314 | 180 | 102 | 69 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 30 | 42 | 58 | 225 | 334 | 235 | 194 | 162 | 66 | 30 | 29 | 76 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 10:33PM1.40m | 11:19AM1.25m | 11:14PM1.30m | 12:04PM1.29m | 00:03AM1.20m | 12:54PM1.32m | 1:03AM1.09m | 1:52PM1.36m | 2:17AM1.00m | 2:58PM1.41m | 3:40AM0.97m | 4:05PM1.48m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:03AM0.17m | 5:12PM0.39m | 5:39AM0.21m | 6:08PM0.41m | 6:20AM0.26m | 7:14PM0.42m | 7:09AM0.32m | 8:31PM0.40m | 8:08AM0.37m | 9:51PM0.34m | 9:16AM0.40m | 11:05PM0.25m | |||||||
— | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 21 | 21 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 17 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | SSE 10 | ESE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 8 |
314 | 180 | 102 | 69 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 30 | 42 | 58 | 225 | 334 | 235 | 194 | 162 | 66 | 29 | 25 | 76 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NE 5 | E 16 | NE 5 | SSE 10 | ESE 7 | SE 11 | E 10 | E 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 8 |
9 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 36 | 30 | 29 | 32 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | E 15 | NE 5 | NE 5 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | NE 8 | E 16 | E 11 | E 11 | ENE 6 | E 9 | E 8 | E 16 |
3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 12 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | NNW 3 | NE 4 | WSW 3 | WNW 3 | WSW 3 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 3 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 |
22 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 95 | 272 | 129 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 408 | 3 |
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.











