Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wettie, let’s see what we’ve got for Shark Island (Cronulla). The water’s sitting at 62°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – nothing crazy, just a touch nippy, so don’t forget the booties if you’re heading out early.

To be honest, the next few days are pretty grim. We’re looking at a dry spell starting from Wednesday the 19th of August with barely a ripple. The swell is tiny and messy, mostly under 3 feet, with weak wave energy readings that barely scratch 200. Winds are all over the shop, mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and it’s just not worth paddling out. Thursday and Friday stay flat and lumpy, with combined swell energy dropping to as low as 34 or 50, so don’t even bother. Saturday the 22nd sees a tiny 1-foot to 1-foot bump but with onshore or cross-onshore breezes. It’s a full week of nothing to get excited about – you’re better off waxing your board or watching the cams.

Now, things start to look up towards the end of next week. On Thursday morning the 27th of August, we get a clean window. The swell picks up to about 5 feet from the south, with a period of 8 seconds, and combined wave energy hitting 343 – that’s moderate energy but it’s real. The wind is light offshore from the west, so the waves should be clean and lined up. This is a proper window for the advanced crew. It’s not huge, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while. The afternoon on that same day goes onshore, so the morning is your moment.

Then we get a bit of a lull again on the Friday and Saturday mornings with surfable but ordinary conditions – clean faces but small, around 4 feet.

But hold onto your board for the Saturday the 29th of August through to Monday the 31st. That’s where the real power shows up. Saturday morning sees a solid 8-foot south swell, jumping to 10 feet by the afternoon, with combined energy readings of 963 and then 1482 – that’s strong wave energy. Sunday the 30th keeps that 10-foot south swell going with a period of 10 to 11 seconds, and the combined energy blows past 2300 – that’s very strong. Monday the 31st still holds 8 feet from the south-southeast, with a long period of 11 seconds and energy at 1575.

Now, a word of caution – this is a reef break, and at over 8 feet these waves are strictly for experts. That long-period south swell (11 seconds) will wrap in nicely, but it can be tricky. The wind is mostly cross-offshore through this big swell window, so it should stay relatively clean, but the power is serious. If you’re not solid on a reef, sit this one out. For the experienced crew, this is the standout window of the whole 16-day outlook. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so expect company.

The first week is a write-off. The second week brings the goods, with the biggest, cleanest energy on Saturday 29th through Monday 31st. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.

Rusty

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