Surf Forecasts:
Southport Main Beach surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 2,349 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Southport Main Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Southport Main Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.8m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Southport Main Beach in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Southport Main Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Southport Main Beach over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you—it’s a rough patch. We’re looking at a long, long stretch of days where it’s just not worth paddling out.
We’ve got a solid 14-day gap here where the surf just isn’t happening for us. From Friday the 11th right through to Thursday the 24th, every session is showing poor conditions. The wind is constantly messing things up, mostly cross-onshore or cross-shore, and the swell is either tiny or completely wind-affected. There’s a bump on Wednesday the 16th where the swell pushes to 7ft from the SE, but it’s accompanied by a strong breeze that’s making a mess of it (combined energy 747). Thursday the 17th has a similar story with 6ft SE swell but again, cross-shore winds spoiling the party (618). It’s all just lumpy, choppy, and not worth the drive.
The water temp is sitting at 70°F with a anomaly of -0.5°F, so pretty much average for this time of year—no surprises there.
Now, the only faint glimmer in this whole forecast is the morning of Saturday the 26th of September. We get a 7ft swell from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds and a light onshore breeze from the ESE (combined energy 1003). It’s labelled as marginal, so it’s not a classic, but compared to the rest of this run it’s the best we’ve got. That’s a moderate wave energy day, but it’s still onshore, so don’t expect perfection. The afternoon sees a similar 7ft ENE swell but the wind stays onshore.
Honestly, for Southport Main Beach, this is a blank run. If you’re a beginner, that 7ft on the 26th is going to be a handful—more than 5ft is not for the learners. For the experienced crew, it might offer a few walls if you pick your bank, but it’s nothing to write home about. The break is exposed to that SE-ESE swell direction, and it’s a beach setup, so when the wind is strong and cross-shore like it is most of this period, it might actually be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys.
Hang in there. Forecasts can change, but right now it’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Mon night, strong winds from the SSE by Wed afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | NE 6 | SSE 4 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 229 | 473 | 104 | 88 | 183 | 80 | 62 | 33 | 15 | 22 | 23 | 17 | 17 | 52 | 35 | 743 | 867 | 611 | 475 | 1022 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:32PM1.57m | 8:56AM1.39m | 9:08PM1.48m | 9:34AM1.41m | 9:43PM1.36m | 10:12AM1.40m | 10:16PM1.23m | 10:52AM1.36m | 10:50PM1.09m | 11:34AM1.31m | 11:26PM0.97m | 12:22PM1.26m | 00:11AM0.86m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:48AM0.09m | 2:54PM0.14m | 3:20AM0.10m | 3:37PM0.20m | 3:51AM0.14m | 4:20PM0.29m | 4:22AM0.19m | 5:05PM0.38m | 4:54AM0.25m | 5:57PM0.48m | 5:30AM0.32m | 7:03PM0.55m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — |
 | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — |
mm | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | ESE 7 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 6 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | NE 6 | E 6 | E 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 4 | 83 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 17 | 11 | 33 | 15 | 22 | 23 | 17 | 17 | 52 | 20 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 291 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 22 | SE 8 | E 15 | E 12 | SE 7 | E 13 | E 13 | E 10 | SE 7 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | — | E 16 |
| kJ | 9 | 69 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 14 | E 12 | E 14 | SE 10 | SE 21 | SE 19 | SE 10 | SE 11 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | — | ENE 5 | — | — | NNE 4 | N 4 | SSE 4 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 |
| kJ | 229 | 473 | 104 | 88 | 183 | 80 | 62 | — | — | 11 | — | — | 8 | 38 | 35 | 743 | 867 | 611 | 475 | 1022 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 18 | 24 | 18 | 13 | 24 | 24 | 13 | 24 | 180 | 14 | 153 | 1744 | 62 | 64 | 1388 | 344 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Southport Main Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Southport Main Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Southport Main Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Southport Main Beach 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 (Southport Main Beach) 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 Southport Main Beach 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.
Southport Main Beach is 3 km (2 miles) from Surfers Paradise. If you plan a holiday in Gold Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Surfers Paradise. Surfers Paradise has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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