Surf Forecasts:
Cunns surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,663 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cunns this week:
The surf forecast for Cunns over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cunns in the next 16 days are 1.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cunns over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty.
Alright, let’s look at the next couple of weeks for the Cunns region. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there are a couple of sessions that are going to be well worth the paddle out. The water’s sitting at 60°F, which is just about spot on for this time of year, so no dramas there.
Monday, August 17th kicks things off with a clean, fun-sized wave. The swell is coming in from the southwest at 3ft to 4ft, with a solid 16-second period. The winds are light and cross-offshore, so the surface is going to be glassy. This is a good one to get your eye in, nice and easy. The water temp is normal for this time of year, so it’s all pretty standard.
Tuesday the 18th is a bit of a write-off, honestly. The wind swings around to the north-northeast and picks up, making it cross and lumpy. The wave size drops and the quality just isn't there. I’d give it a miss and let the banks settle.
Wednesday, August 19th is still messy. The swell bumps up a bit to 5ft in the afternoon, but the wind is cross-onshore and it's looking choppy. A bit of a let-down after a decent Monday.
Now, Thursday, August 20th is where things start to get interesting. Morning sees the wind drop to nothing, just a slight air, and it’s clean. The swell is a touch over 3ft from the southwest. It’s not huge, but it’s fun and clean.
Friday, August 21st is a standout. Swell jumps to 6ft in the morning, easing to 5ft by the afternoon, all from the southwest with a 16-17 second period. The wind is offshore and light. This is proper Cunns, clean lines, nice power. This is your first real pick of the window. The energy is solidly in the four figures, meaning there’s some proper push behind it.
Saturday, August 22nd keeps the quality going. Another 5ft southwest swell with light offshore winds in the morning. It’s still very clean. The afternoon sees the wind swing a bit more cross-off, but it’s still fine. Another good day, maybe a notch below Friday just because the wind isn't quite as good.
Sunday the 23rd is still surfable, with the swell dropping slightly to 4-5ft. Mornings are a bit cross with ripples, but the afternoon cleans up with a cross-off breeze. It's a decent weekend all round.
The next stretch, from Monday, August 24th through to Wednesday, August 26th, is where things go flat and messy. The swell drops right down, and then the wind starts howling from the east, with some heavy rain moving in on Wednesday afternoon. The energy is weak, and it’s not worth fighting the wind for a couple of closeouts. This is a clear gap in the action.
The forecast picks back up slightly on Thursday, August 27th but it's marginal. Then Friday, August 28th sees a more significant swell pulse, with 5-6ft from the southwest, but the conditions are still rated as marginal with that persistent cross-off wind.
Now, here’s where we look a bit further out. Sunday, August 30th is another standout. The morning has 5ft from the west-southwest, and the afternoon sees a big jump in energy with another 5ft from the southwest. Winds are light and cross-off, and it's looking clean. This is your second big pick, a week and a half out, so treat it as promising but not locked in.
After that, the window closes with some strong winds and messy conditions as we head into Monday, August 31st and Tuesday, September 1st. The swell is still there, but it’s being chopped up by strong cross-onshore winds, making it a mess. That part is looking like a write-off.
So, in summary: hit Monday the 17th for a clean warm-up, but the two days to really circle are Friday, August 21st and Sunday, August 30th. Big southwest swells, clean winds, and plenty of power. Get amongst it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the N by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
314 | 619 | 520 | 679 | 482 | 1318 | 385 | 966 | 258 | 489 | 567 | 1041 | 1663 | 1330 | 1297 | 1082 | 988 | 936 | 777 | 979 | 535 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:49PM1.13m | 2:19AM1.13m | 1:59PM1.07m | 2:40AM1.10m | 2:07PM0.99m | 3:00AM1.03m | 2:07PM0.91m | 3:19AM0.92m | 1:48PM0.84m | 3:31AM0.80m | 12:48PM0.83m | 2:55AM0.66m | 11:50AM0.92m | 1:02AM0.62m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:02PM0.01m | 8:12AM0.23m | 8:15PM0.01m | 8:30AM0.33m | 8:28PM0.06m | 8:43AM0.44m | 8:36PM0.13m | 8:44AM0.56m | 8:33PM0.21m | 7:56AM0.66m | 8:02PM0.28m | 5:37AM0.64m | 7:09PM0.28m | ||||||||
7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | |
— | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 20 | SW 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
205 | 619 | 398 | 679 | 482 | 589 | 385 | 99 | 231 | 489 | 567 | 1041 | 1663 | 1330 | 1297 | 1082 | 988 | 936 | 777 | 979 | 535 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 22 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | SW 15 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 19 | — | — | — | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 18 | — | — |
314 | 163 | 520 | — | — | — | — | 186 | 258 | 74 | 54 | 303 | — | — | — | 22 | 160 | 236 | 307 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | — | SSE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
8 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 201 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 2 | NNE 3 | NNW 4 | WSW 16 | WSW 8 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | SSE 4 | — | — | — |
— | — | 1 | 8 | 8 | 1318 | 170 | 966 | — | — | — | — | — | 66 | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 401 | 401 | 641 | 652 | 1045 | 0 | 0 | 1219 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 154 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nullarbor | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Cunns Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cunns provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cunns can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cunns 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 (Cunns) 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 Cunns 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 Nullarbor? If you are looking for accommodation near Cunns, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Nullarbor, consider staying in Thevenard which is 64 km (40 miles) away.











