Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate. Rusty here, and let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks for Shark Island (Cronulla). This is a reef setup that needs a solid south in the swell window, and we’ve got a bit of a frustrating run ahead, with a few good moments if you’re patient.

The first real standout is Sunday the 19th. That morning, we’re looking at a clean 5 ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a nice groundswell, real energy behind it (combined energy of 669). The wind is a light SSE cross-off, which will keep the faces glassy. This is the best on offer in the first week. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is about 2° cooler than normal for this time of year, so not a major shock, just a touch crisp.

That quality holds into Monday the 20th morning – another 5 ft ENE swell, period of 10 seconds, and a light WNW cross-off breeze. Still clean, still fun (557 combined energy). But by Monday afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the NE and kills it.

Then we hit a flat spell. From Tuesday the 21st through to Thursday the 24th, the swell drops right off – we’re talking 2 ft to 4 ft of weak, short-period slop, mostly with onshore or cross winds. It’s a real dry patch. Not worth paddling.

Friday the 25th morning gets interesting for the experts. A tiny 2 ft swell, but the period jumps to 19 seconds – that’s a very long-period groundswell. This kind of energy can wrap in beautifully on a reef, and with a light SW offshore wind, it’ll be clean. Combined energy is 276, so it’s weak in size but has some push. This is a classic case where the reef will concentrate that energy. Saturday the 26th morning sees a 15-second period swell, also 2 ft with light offshore winds – good for a longboard or a quiet session.

The standout for the second week is Wednesday the 29th. We get a sudden jump: 8 ft from the south, period of 10 seconds, combined energy of 2200! That’s strong. The morning wind is a 9 mph cross-off from the NW, which should keep it clean. But listen – at 8 ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The reef will be handling a lot of water, and it could be heavy. This is the one to circle on your calendar, but keep an eye on the wind leading in because it’s still a week and a half away.

Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st drop back in size but pick up strong southerly winds, with Friday morning the 31st showing 6 ft from the south with a 10-second period, clean offshore wind from the SSW (703 combined energy). That could be a solid, punchy session for the advanced crew.

So overall, don’t get too excited about the first few days. The real quality hits on Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th mornings, then a lull, then a serious pulse on Wednesday the 29th for the experts.

Stay patient, keep your wetsuit zipped.
Rusty

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