Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks at Shark Island (Cronulla). It’s a reef set-up that likes a good SE swell, and it’s a spot for the advanced crew.

Right now, the water temp is sitting at 62°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year. Nothing too wild, but you’ll want a decent spring suit.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off, honestly. Wednesday the 22nd has some small, surfable waves at 3ft from the ENE, but the conditions are just ordinary. It’s a struggle to get excited. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th morning are a mixed bag of poor conditions and small, messy swell, with a couple of windows where the wind is offshore but the swell is tiny.

Now, hold onto your board. Friday morning the 24th is where the magic starts to brew. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell rolling in from the S, with a clean 9-second period. The combined energy is pumping hard at 1185 (moderate-strong), and with a light offshore breeze from the SW, it’s going to be clean. That’s the standout of the whole period. This is a bit much for the beginners, but for the advanced surfer, that’s prime Shark Island territory. The swell direction is a little off the optimum SE, but the size and wind make up for it.

Saturday morning the 25th still has some decent leftovers at 5ft from the S, with a longer 11-second period and a clean cross-off wind. The energy is still solid at 514. Worth a look, but it’s not the winner.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is patchy. Sunday morning the 26th has clean 5ft swell, but it’s nothing special. From Monday the 27th through to the end of July, it’s mostly small, weak, or blown out. The 17-second period swell on Tuesday afternoon the 28th is a tease, but it’s only 1ft, so it’s not doing anything.

Into August, the first few days are a bit of a gap. Saturday the 1st is marginal at best. Then Sunday morning the 2nd brings a bump back up with a 5ft easterly swell, clean offshore winds, and moderate energy at 365. That’s a decent Sunday session. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th keep the energy rolling with 5ft to 5ft swell from the east and northeast, and mostly clean conditions. The best of that run looks like Tuesday afternoon the 4th — 5ft from the ENE, clean with a gentle offshore breeze, and energy at 573 (moderate). That’s a solid finisher.

After that, it fades out. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th drop off significantly, with the 6th seeing near gale-force winds. That’s not a paddle, that’s a washing machine. For kite surfers, the blown-out, lumpy conditions might be more interesting, but for us paddle surfers, it’s a hard pass.

Overall, the best bet is absolutely Friday morning the 24th of July. That’s the one. The Sunday morning the 2nd of August and Tuesday afternoon the 4th of August are also solid, but they don’t quite match that Friday juice. Be aware, crowds can pop up here sometimes, especially when it’s good.

Rusty.

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