Surf Forecasts:
Cudmirrah Reef surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, S swell with 230 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cudmirrah Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Cudmirrah Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cudmirrah Reef in the next 16 days are 1.1m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cudmirrah Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve only got one spot on the radar for the next 16 days: Cudmirrah Reef. It’s an advanced reef break, so it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Right now, things are looking pretty average. We’re kicking off on Thursday, 20 August with some small, weak swell. There’s a bit of energy around – 61 (combined energy) – but it’s a short-period 6-second NE windswell, mixing with a cross-offshore breeze. The waves are only 2ft to 3ft and it’s just surfable, nothing to write home about. Water’s sitting at 63°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
Friday, 21 August, the morning stays small at 2ft, but the afternoon sees a bump in energy to 154 (combined energy) as the swell bumps up to 4ft from the NE, with a clean offshore wind. Still, the period is short at 6 seconds, so it’s a bit crumbly. Saturday, 22 August, is a write-off – glassy but tiny, 1ft, barely a ripple.
The next few days are a mixed bag. Sunday, 23 August, sees a bit more energy (132) but the wind is cross-shore, making it messy. Monday, 24 August, cleans up with a light offshore and 3ft to 2ft from the south, with a 10-second period – that’s a bit more like a proper groundswell, but the size is still small. Tuesday, 25 August, has glassy conditions in the morning but only 2ft, and then the wind picks up and ruins the afternoon.
We hit a bit of a rough patch from Wednesday, 26 August, through to Friday, 28 August. Wednesday has 5ft swell but it’s a short-period 6-second S windswell with a fresh cross-shore wind – choppy and ugly. Thursday and Friday are small and mostly onshore or cross-onshore. Not worth paddling out.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The true standout is the weekend of Saturday, 29 August through Sunday, 30 August. Saturday morning, we get a clean 5ft NE windswell with a cross-offshore breeze and strong energy – 268 (combined energy). It’s a fun size, still manageable for advanced surfers. Sunday keeps it going with 4ft from the ENE and a clean offshore wind, with energy at 244. That’s your best window of the whole forecast.
After that, we see a drop-off early next week, but then it builds again. The second week starts to look promising for the beginning of September. Tuesday, 1 September, is marginal with cross-offshore winds. But Wednesday, 2 September, delivers a solid 3ft to 4ft from the ENE with a long 11-second period and a glassy morning – energy jumps to 377. That’s a proper groundswell. Thursday, 3 September, is even better: glassy conditions, 5ft, 11-second period, and 467 (combined energy) – that’s a strong, clean swell. Friday, 4 September, keeps it going with a 4ft, 10-second ENE groundswell and a clean offshore wind.
So, if you’re picking one session, aim for the morning of Thursday, 3 September. It’s got the size, the period, the glassy conditions, and the ENE swell is exactly what this reef wants. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it looks like a beauty.
Overall, there’s a bit of a flat spell at the start, but the end of the first week into the second week has some real gems. The reef is consistent, so it tends to deliver when the conditions line up. Stay patient, and you’ll get your waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Tue morning. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the SSW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 8 | NE 6 | S 10 | SSE 7 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 9 | S 6 | S 6 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
33 | 49 | 39 | 46 | 108 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 96 | 86 | 108 | 143 | 116 | 90 | 81 | 56 | 36 | 54 | 144 | 64 | 43 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | off | off | off | off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 1:52PM1.25m | 2:35AM0.86m | 2:54PM1.24m | 3:55AM0.84m | 3:57PM1.26m | 5:02AM0.87m | 4:54PM1.31m | 5:53AM0.92m | 5:42PM1.37m | 6:35AM0.98m | 6:25PM1.43m | 7:11AM1.04m | 7:04PM1.48m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:53PM0.48m | 7:57AM0.55m | 10:07PM0.47m | 9:03AM0.58m | 11:09PM0.42m | 10:09AM0.56m | 11:58PM0.36m | 11:07AM0.52m | 00:38AM0.30m | 11:55AM0.47m | 1:13AM0.24m | 12:39PM0.41m | 1:46AM0.19m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 20 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 4 | S 4 | S 10 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 6 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
33 | 49 | 39 | 46 | 41 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 96 | 86 | 84 | 143 | 116 | 38 | 81 | 56 | 17 | 54 | 50 | 44 | 43 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | WSW 3 | S 10 | S 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SE 4 | S 15 | S 11 | NE 5 | NE 6 | S 10 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | S 9 | S 9 | S 16 | S 14 | S 5 |
26 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 40 | 108 | 22 | 26 | 90 | 27 | 18 | 36 | 13 | 5 | 14 | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 10 | S 12 | — | SE 8 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | E 15 | NE 9 | NE 8 | S 17 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | S 16 | — | S 16 | ESE 5 |
2 | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 20 | — | 5 | 9 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | NW 2 | — | NE 6 | W 3 | W 3 | SE 3 | SE 4 | — | NE 6 | NNE 5 | NW 3 | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — | S 6 | S 6 | — |
69 | 104 | 1 | — | 108 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 12 | — | 6 | 54 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 144 | 64 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 56 | 438 | 570 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 344 | 108 | 39 | 7 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
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)
Information about the Cudmirrah Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cudmirrah Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cudmirrah Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cudmirrah Reef 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 (Cudmirrah Reef) 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 Cudmirrah Reef 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.
Are you planning a holiday in South Coast - New South Wales? If you are looking for accommodation near Cudmirrah Reef, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in South Coast - New South Wales, consider staying in Nowra which is 34 km (21 miles) away. Other places in and around South Coast - New South Wales where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Port Kembla which is 82 km (51 miles) away, Wollongong and Goulburn.











