Surf Forecasts:
Cowries surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, S swell with 736 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period with SSE 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s 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 2.2m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cowries over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.
We’re kicking off with a bit of a slow start. The first few days are flat and messy, nothing to write home about until the 27th of August, when things start to build. The standout window is definitely the Saturday morning of the 29th of August, with a solid SSE swell at 4ft, glassy conditions, and the place to yourself if you’re lucky. That’s your best bet.
Let’s break it down.
Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th of August: Wednesday’s a write-off. Light rain and a moderate breeze, with NE swell at 3ft but poor conditions. Thursday morning starts to wake up – S swell coming in at 6ft, cross-off wind, and a combined energy of 572 (moderate). The surf is decent, but not quite perfect. The water feels about normal for this time of year.
Friday 28th of August: Friday morning is good. SSE swell at 5ft, 11-second period, cross-off wind, and clean. The energy is moderate (567). A solid session.
Saturday 29th of August – The Highlight: This is the one. Saturday morning at Cowries, we’ve got a 4ft SSE swell, glassy conditions – that’s a major positive. The water is glass, the wave energy is strong (775), and the break is a reef and point. With the swell direction (SSE) and the optimum ENE, this is a quality setup. Beginners will be fine with the size. Expect clean, lined-up waves. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
Sunday 30th of August: Sunday morning is also glassy, with a 4ft SSE swell, but the energy drops to moderate (276). It’s still good, but the Saturday is the standout.
Monday 31st of August and Tuesday 1st of September: Monday morning brings a long-period swell (17 seconds) from the SSE, but only 2ft, and the wind is cross-on. The energy is moderate (379), but the conditions are marginal. Tuesday is poor, with low energy and cross-shore wind.
Wednesday 2nd to Friday 4th of September: The energy drops right off. We’re into a flat spell. Very small waves, under 2ft, with the odd tiny clean window but nothing worth paddling out for. The break is rarely consistent, so this is a normal quiet period.
Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of September: Saturday stays small, but Sunday the 6th of September shows a new pulse: a 6ft S swell, cross-off wind, and moderate energy (485). The conditions are clean, but the period is short (7 seconds), so it’ll be a bit lumpy. Still, a step up.
Monday 7th to Wednesday 9th of September: Another lull. Small, weak, and mostly poor. The 7th has a 4ft S swell but poor quality. The 8th is windy and messy. The 9th is tiny.
Thursday 10th of September – A Promising Late Pulse: Mark this one. Thursday morning, a 8ft S swell rolls in, with a light offshore wind (SW at 10 km/h) and clean conditions. The combined energy is strong (688). This is a groundswell with only 8-second period, so the waves will be powerful but a bit short-interval. That size is good for experienced surfers, but beginners should sit this one out. This is a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.
So, to wrap it up: the real standout is Saturday morning, 29th of August. Glassy, clean, 4ft SSE swell, strong energy. Get it while it’s good. The 10th of September is a promising late pulse, but it’s a week and a half away, so it’s a good one to watch.
Stay stoked, and see you in the water.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 8 | S 7 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 18 | S 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
86 | 171 | 481 | 494 | 318 | 177 | 521 | 373 | 237 | 216 | 188 | 147 | 190 | 173 | 178 | 144 | 167 | 171 | 112 | 78 | 50 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:04PM1.49m | 7:43AM1.13m | 7:41PM1.52m | 8:17AM1.20m | 8:17PM1.52m | 8:51AM1.27m | 8:53PM1.49m | 9:26AM1.33m | 9:31PM1.42m | 10:03AM1.37m | 10:12PM1.33m | 10:44AM1.40m | 10:58PM1.23m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:39PM0.38m | 1:45AM0.18m | 1:20PM0.33m | 2:16AM0.14m | 2:00PM0.29m | 2:46AM0.12m | 2:41PM0.26m | 3:17AM0.12m | 3:23PM0.25m | 3:49AM0.14m | 4:09PM0.26m | 4:24AM0.19m | 4:59PM0.28m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 24 | 23 | 18 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 21 | 21 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | ENE 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
86 | 82 | 349 | 494 | 318 | 177 | 521 | 373 | 237 | 216 | 188 | 147 | 190 | 173 | 134 | 122 | 167 | 171 | 112 | 78 | 50 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 9 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 | NE 5 |
9 | 9 | 69 | 44 | 41 | 129 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 104 | 107 | 96 | 37 | 25 | 178 | 144 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 38 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | — | — | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | ENE 9 | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 18 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | SSE 15 | ENE 3 | ENE 11 | S 18 | ENE 10 |
5 | — | — | 22 | 20 | 45 | 53 | 39 | 33 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 60 | 19 | 17 | 42 | 1 | 24 | 6 | 33 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 7 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 2 | NNW 2 | NNE 4 | NE 4 | NNW 2 |
38 | 171 | 481 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 10 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 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.











