Surf Forecasts:
Southport Main Beach surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with 2,151 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period with E 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 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 get stuck into what’s on offer at Southport Main Beach for the next couple of weeks.
Right now, we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The first few days are a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds and messy, poor surf. The energy’s there, with some moderate to strong combined swell energy (384 to 1697), but it’s all blown out and lumpy. There’s a decent sized swell from the ESE, but the wind is just shredding it. Don’t even bother paddling out until we get a change.
We hit a potential window on Thursday morning, July 23. It’s a small one, with waves around 4 ft from the east, and the wind is glassy. The combined energy is weak to moderate (204). It’s not a standout, but it’s the first time the ocean looks clean. The water temp is sitting around 70 °F, which is about average for the time of year.
The real standout, and the only one I’d genuinely get excited about in this whole run, is Wednesday morning, July 29. The wind swings offshore from the WNW, and the set-up is clean. The swell is tiny, only about 2 ft from the ENE, with a combined energy of just 30 (weak), but with offshore wind and a clean face, that’s a proper cruisey longboard session. For a flat spell, that’s a win.
Before that, Monday morning, July 27 also has clean conditions with offshore wind from the west, but the swell is still only 2 ft. It’s a fun size for a beginner, but don’t expect any power.
After that, it’s back to the small stuff. August starts with a glassy morning on Saturday, August 1 with 2 ft from the SE, but the energy is weak (66) and the afternoon gets blown onshore. It’s pretty much a longboard-only stretch.
The beginning of the period is a total loss for a paddle surfer. The swell is big, the wind is mean, and it’s all cross-onshore. This is more of a kite surfer’s playground than anything else. The middle of the second week offers a few clean but tiny windows. The very end of the forecast looks like it might try to pick up a little, but it’s a long way off and the wind is still a factor.
So, the best bet? Set your alarm for Wednesday, July 29 for a clean, tiny, offshore morning. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Mon afternoon, calm by Wed night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 320 | 456 | 465 | 1000 | 2018 | 1678 | 1433 | 1596 | 1168 | 1277 | 1450 | 786 | 541 | 367 | 274 | 274 | 194 | 185 | 148 | 112 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:43PM1.67m | 11:14AM1.20m | 11:25PM1.52m | 12:03PM1.19m | 00:07AM1.37m | 12:55PM1.18m | 00:49AM1.21m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:34AM1.08m | 3:00PM1.20m | 2:28AM0.97m | 4:10PM1.25m | 3:37AM0.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:10PM0.25m | 5:20AM0.23m | 5:01PM0.33m | 6:01AM0.26m | 5:53PM0.42m | 6:42AM0.30m | 6:52PM0.52m | 7:25AM0.34m | 8:01PM0.59m | 8:11AM0.36m | 9:24PM0.63m | 9:00AM0.37m | 10:45PM0.61m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — |
mm | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | — | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | E 18 | S 20 | — | SE 17 | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 |
| kJ | 51 | — | 465 | 1000 | 6 | 8 | — | 12 | — | 1277 | 986 | 786 | 541 | 367 | 274 | 274 | 194 | 185 | 148 | 112 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 18 | — | — | — | — | S 24 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 13 | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 15 | 18 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 21 | S 16 | SE 14 | E 13 | SSE 9 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 4 | S 4 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | — | ESE 10 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 320 | 456 | 28 | 48 | 2018 | 1678 | 1433 | 1596 | 1168 | — | 1450 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 572 | 284 | 738 | 750 | 442 | 710 | 667 | 162 | 260 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 13 | 18 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 Southport Main Beach 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 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.
Nearest