Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Shark Island (Cronulla) – a reef setup that needs a decent S to SE groundswell and clean winds to really fire. The next couple of weeks are a mixed bag, with a lot of ordinary conditions on the cards, but there’s one clear standout that’s worth keeping an eye on.

The water temp is sitting at 61°, which is about 3° colder than normal for this time of year – a noticeable chill, so don’t forget the steamer.

For the first week, it’s mostly a struggle. Thursday the 13th morning gives us a clean 3ft S swell with gentle offshore SW winds at 9 mph – surfable but nothing to get excited about, with only moderate energy (184). Thursday afternoon goes cross-shore and messy. Friday the 14th morning cleans up again with a 3ft S swell and light W winds, but it’s short-period stuff (8 seconds) and low energy (165). Saturday the 15th morning has a 4ft SSE swell with moderate cross-offshore S winds at 12 mph – still just marginal (284 energy). From Saturday afternoon right through to Wednesday the 20th, it’s mostly poor surf with onshore or cross-shore winds, tiny swell, and low energy – a real flat spell. There’s a brief glimmer on Wednesday the 19th morning with glassy conditions and a 3ft ESE swell, but it’s weak (111 energy) and only surfable, not good.

After that, from Thursday the 20th through to Tuesday the 26th, the pattern stays poor: small swell, often onshore or cross-shore, with hardly any energy – most readings are under 100. A few sessions show clean conditions (like Sunday the 23rd afternoon or Monday the 24th morning) but the swell is tiny, around 3ft to 4ft, and from the ENE – not ideal for Shark Island’s optimum SE direction. Nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, here’s the one that stands out. Thursday the 27th morning shows a building S swell at 8ft, 10-second period, with cross-offshore W winds at 12 mph – clean and solid, with strong energy (1224). But the real gem is Thursday the 27th afternoon: a 10ft S swell, 13-second period, with offshore SSW winds at 12 mph. That’s excellent surf for experienced surfers – long-period groundswell (over 11 seconds) with very strong energy (4616) and clean offshore conditions. The swell direction (S) matches the optimum SE direction closely enough for this reef to light up. This is the best on offer by a long shot. Keep in mind, 10ft is big and only for experts, and the long period might make it a bit walled at times, but on a reef like Shark Island, that’s pure quality.

Friday the 28th morning drops to 6ft S with fresh S winds – still clean but more marginal (728 energy), and the afternoon stays similar but smaller.

So, to wrap it up: the next week and a half is mostly a write-off with small, weak, or onshore surf. The standout is Thursday the 27th afternoon – that’s the one to circle on the calendar. Get on it if you can handle the size.

Rusty

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