Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and have a listen, because I’ve been staring at the charts for your patch and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Let’s talk about Shark Island (Cronulla). This is a solid reef setup, so it handles a bit of grunt, but it’s not for the faint-hearted – it’s an advanced wave.

We kick off with a bit of a slow start, but there’s a real standout window. The first real action worth paddling out for hits on Friday the 24th, first thing in the morning. The wind is blowing offshore from the southwest, and we’ve got a solid 6ft south swell, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (882), and the water temp is sitting at 63°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. The conditions are clean, and the offshore breeze will have those lines looking tidy. This is the best on offer in the early part of the window.

That morning session is the pick. The afternoon on Friday sees a cross-shore ESE breeze pick up, and the swell drops a fraction. It’s still surfable, but the magic is gone. Saturday and Sunday offer some clean windows, especially Sunday morning with another 5ft south swell and offshore WSW wind, but the energy is dropping. By Monday, the swell is down to 3ft, and it’s just ordinary.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Tuesday the 28th all the way through to Saturday the 1st of August, the surf is tiny, weak, and mostly a write-off. The combined energy drops into the double digits, and it’s just not worth the effort. A few days of nothing.

But hold on to your board... Sunday the 2nd of August is a big one. A massive 15ft south swell rolls in, with a 12-second period. The energy is pumping at 5073. This is only for experienced surfers, because it’s well over 8ft. The morning looks clean with a light WNW cross-off breeze. This is a true standout, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it. The afternoon gets a bit tricky with a fresh southerly wind.

Monday the 3rd sees the swell drop to 8ft, but it’s a bit messy with rain and cross-shore winds. The big stuff doesn’t really clean up again until the 6th and 7th of August. Thursday the 6th afternoon has a solid 5ft ESE swell with a very long 14-second period, but the wind is a bit ordinary. The real gold looks to be Friday the 7th morning: a clean 8ft ESE swell, 13-second period, and a light offshore SW wind. Combined energy is strong (1736). That is another one for the experienced crew, and it’s a genuine highlight.

So, Friday morning the 24th is your first chance, and Friday morning the 7th of August is the big one on the horizon. The water has been about average, and the crowds are *sometimes* an issue at this spot, but for a reef that works, it’s worth it.

Rusty.

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