Surf Forecasts:
Southport Main Beach surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, SSE swell with 528 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 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 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Southport Main Beach in the next 16 days are 1.8m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) 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 0.3m 3s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Southport Main Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this next 16 days is looking pretty bleak for a paddle. We've got a long stretch of small, messy surf ahead with only a fleeting window of something worthwhile. Let's get into it.
The main issue is a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind, especially for the first week. There's a bit of a tease early on, but nothing to get excited about until the end of the first week.
Wednesday morning the 23rd of July is our one and only real standout. The wind swings light and glassy out of the WNW, and we’ve got a clean 4ft E swell pulsing in. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, and the combined energy is moderate at 295. It won't have the push of a groundswell, but with conditions that clean at Southport Main Beach, it’s your best shot for sure. The water temp is 69°, basically average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Saturday morning the 25th of July is another look, with a glassy start and a 2ft SE groundswell. The period is a nice 11 seconds, which will give it some shape, but the combined energy is weak (185). It’s surfable, just small and a bit ordinary. You might be able to sneak a few clean ones if you’re not picky.
After that, it’s a massive dry spell. From Sunday the 26th right through to Friday the 1st of August, we’ve got a solid week of poor conditions – choppy wind, tiny waves, and no real energy to speak of.
There’s a small glimmer on Saturday the 1st of August with a very long 16-second period ESE swell, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph from the S on the afternoon session. That combo might actually be more interesting for the kite crew than for paddle surfing at a beach break like Southport Main Beach. The long period swell needs a point or reef to work its magic, and with that wind, it’s just not going to be clean.
The final few days into early August offer a moderate offshore wind on the 5th, but the swell is tiny at 2ft and short period. It’ll be clean, but there’s not much to ride.
So, in short: target the 23rd of July for the best glassy conditions, and maybe have a look at the 25th of July morning for a small, clean groundswell. Otherwise, the board stays in the car, or you're taking the kite out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Fri afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 425 | 318 | 270 | 220 | 173 | 133 | 105 | 80 | 164 | 129 | 105 | 64 | 42 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 29 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 1:34AM1.08m | 3:00PM1.20m | 2:28AM0.97m | 4:10PM1.25m | 3:37AM0.90m | 5:09PM1.32m | 4:53AM0.88m | 5:56PM1.40m | 5:56AM0.90m | 6:37PM1.48m | 6:45AM0.94m | 7:14PM1.55m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:11AM0.36m | 9:24PM0.63m | 9:00AM0.37m | 10:45PM0.61m | 9:53AM0.37m | 11:48PM0.55m | 10:45AM0.35m | 00:36AM0.48m | 11:33AM0.32m | 1:16AM0.40m | 12:18PM0.29m | 1:51AM0.33m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:13 | — |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 425 | 318 | 270 | 220 | 173 | 133 | 105 | 80 | 61 | 129 | 105 | 64 | 42 | 18 | 18 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 25 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | S 9 | SE 8 | E 12 | E 11 | E 9 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | E 7 | E 7 | E 13 | ESE 12 |
| kJ | 4 | 130 | 151 | 166 | 116 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 74 | 57 | 43 | 40 | 30 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 29 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 10 | NE 10 | SE 14 | SE 13 | NE 7 | NE 6 | SE 14 | E 11 | E 13 | E 7 | E 7 |
| kJ | 32 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 49 | 46 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 | SE 8 | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 164 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 10 | 10 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 64 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 24 | 3 | 13 | 24 |
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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