Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 31 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 30 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s period, S swell with 943 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cowries in the next 16 days are 1.9m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) 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 0.8m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s in store for Cowries.
This reef and point setup over the next 16 days is a bit of a mixed bag. We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing happening at the start of the period, then a few windows of opportunity, but nothing that’s going to have you calling in sick for work. The first real surf worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Thursday, the 30th of July.
The water temp is sitting at 65.7°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
So, Thursday morning, the 30th of July, we see a 4.3ft south swell with a 9-second period pushing in. The combined swell energy is moderate (252), and with a light cross-offshore breeze, it’s clean. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary conditions. Not a standout.
The real standout of the whole period is Friday morning, the 31st of July. The swell bumps up to 5.9ft from the south, with a 10-second period, pushing moderate energy (722). The wind is a light cross-offshore, leaving it clean. This is the best on offer – a solid chest-to-head-high wave that should have some shape to it. The crowds might be around, but it’s worth it for the clean lines.
Saturday morning, the 1st of August, is also a good call. The swell drops a touch to 4.9ft from the SSE, but it’s glassy. That’s a major positive. The energy is moderate (480), and the conditions will be pristine. Another solid morning in the water.
After that, things taper off. There’s a small window on Monday, the 3rd of August, with 2.0ft from the SE, but it’s weak. Then we get a bit of a bump into Thursday, the 6th of August, with 6.2ft from the SSE, but the wind is onshore and it’s messy. The combined energy is strong (663-767), but the quality is poor.
From the 7th of August onwards, it’s a write-off. Onshore winds and choppy conditions dominate, with swell sizes up to 7.9ft. For a beach-and-reef setup like Cowries, that’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, that looks more interesting for the kite surfers than a paddle surfer.
The last few days of the period are flat and weak. Nothing to get excited about.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed morning, light winds from the SSW by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 13 | S 16 | S 11 | S 8 | S 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 7 | 7 | 287 | 279 | 247 | 734 | 653 | 561 | 445 | 321 | 348 | 441 | 396 | 341 | 182 | 98 | 68 | 16 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 8:14AM1.03m | 8:09PM1.54m | 8:50AM1.07m | 8:44PM1.55m | 9:26AM1.12m | 9:19PM1.52m | 10:02AM1.16m | 9:55PM1.47m | 10:39AM1.20m | 10:33PM1.40m | 11:19AM1.25m | 11:14PM1.30m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:21AM0.20m | 1:39PM0.37m | 2:55AM0.16m | 2:18PM0.35m | 3:27AM0.14m | 2:58PM0.35m | 3:58AM0.14m | 3:39PM0.35m | 4:30AM0.15m | 4:23PM0.37m | 5:03AM0.17m | 5:12PM0.39m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 10 |
Feels °C | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | NE 4 | SE 13 | S 11 | S 8 | SSE 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 |
| kJ | 5 | 1 | 7 | 287 | 279 | 232 | 734 | 653 | 561 | 445 | 321 | 348 | 441 | 396 | 341 | 182 | 98 | 68 | 16 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | SE 13 | S 16 | E 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | E 18 | E 17 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 8 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | S 7 | E 8 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | E 12 | E 14 | — | E 18 | NE 6 | E 11 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | WNW 2 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | — | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | NW 3 | NNW 2 | WSW 4 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 16 | 9 | — | 247 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 13 | — | 4 | 1 | 8 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 98 | 190 | 684 | 375 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cowries surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest