Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period, SE swell with 497 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s 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 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s is also forecast. 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 1.4m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
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 the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, it's a bit of a slow start. We're not looking at any real action until the morning of Sunday, August 2nd. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, so don't rush to wax up.
The standout session, and the only one I'd really get excited about, is the early session on Thursday, August 6th at Cowries. The wind is light offshore from the WSW at 3 mph, making for clean conditions. The swell is a solid 4 ft, pushing in from the S with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (205). It's nothing massive, but it's the best we'll see. The water's sitting at 65°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
The other window worth paddling out for is the Monday morning, August 3rd, again at Cowries. It's a bit smaller at 3 ft, but the wind is cross-shore, so it's not a total loss. The combined energy is 204. Not a classic, but surfable.
Looking further out, there's a glimmer of hope on Friday morning, August 7th. The wind goes completely glassy at Cowries, with 0 mph. The swell is only 4 ft from the S, but with zero wind, it'll be a clean, quiet morning. The energy is 208. It's a nice session for the longboard or a smooth funboard if you're keen.
Beyond that, the second week looks pretty bleak. From the 8th of August onwards, the swell drops off and the winds get messy. There are a few days with offshore winds and clean conditions, like the 10th and 16th, but the surf is tiny—2 ft to 2 ft. The combined energy is weak (under 130). It's a stretch to call it surfable. There's a real dry spell from the 8th through to the 17th, with very little to recommend.
So, to sum it up: the best of the bunch is the Thursday morning, August 6th at Cowries. It's not a huge swell, but the clean conditions and moderate energy make it the pick of the 16 days. The Friday morning, August 7th is a close second for the glassy conditions. The rest of the run is mostly a waiting game.
Stay patient, and keep your eye on the forecasts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 785 | 561 | 314 | 184 | 104 | 28 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 82 | 124 | 196 | 195 | 311 | 225 | 194 | 186 | 112 | 67 | 50 | 22 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:39AM1.20m | 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 | 4:23PM0.37m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 15 | 22 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | S 7 | SSW 4 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 785 | 561 | 314 | 184 | 104 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 82 | 80 | 196 | 195 | 311 | 225 | 194 | 186 | 112 | 67 | 50 | 18 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 18 | E 17 | NE 5 | E 16 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ESE 7 | SSE 10 | E 8 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 8 | ENE 7 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 18 | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 21 | S 21 | E 16 | NE 8 | E 16 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | E 7 | SE 11 | E 13 | E 13 | E 18 | E 12 | NE 8 | E 16 | E 16 | E 8 | ENE 6 | NE 10 | E 8 | E 8 |
| kJ | 9 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 3 | NE 3 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | WSW 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | S 8 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 2 | — |
| kJ | 4 | 9 | 36 | 13 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 124 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 73 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 180 | 181 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 0 | 10 | 635 | 2 |
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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