Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Shark Island (Cronulla) over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, Tuesday morning (August 11th) is a write-off. There’s some knee-high, weak stuff around 2ft from the ENE, but the wind is howling at 19 mph from the WSW, making it a cross-off mess. The water temperature is sitting at a nippy 61°, which is about two and a half degrees colder than normal for this time of year – so that wetsuit is staying zipped up.

The real story starts to build on Tuesday afternoon. The southerly swell kicks in properly, looking like a solid 5ft with a decent 10-second period. The wind swings offshore from the WSW at 12 mph, and this is where we get our first real standout. The wave energy jumps right up (625), and the combination of a long-period groundswell from the south and clean offshore conditions should make for some really fun, shapely waves. This is the pick of the forecast. Just keep in mind, at this size it’s going to be more suited to experienced surfers, and with a rating of “sometimes” for crowds, you might be sharing the takeoff zone.

Wednesday morning (August 12th) hangs in there. We’ve still got 4ft of south swell and a lighter WNW cross-off breeze. The energy is moderate (272), and it’ll be clean, but the power isn’t as nuts as Tuesday afternoon.

The middle of the forecast week gets ordinary. Thursday afternoon (August 13th) sees the southerly swell bumping up to 5ft, but the wind goes onshore from the SE and messes it up. Friday looks underwhelming, and the whole weekend is a bit of a write-off with strong southerly winds and choppy conditions, even as the swell pushes 5ft to 6ft. The period drops to a short 6-7 seconds, which means weak, bumpy waves. For a reef break like Shark Island, this setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddling.

We hit a bit of a lull. There’s nothing really good from Thursday the 13th all the way through to late on Monday the 17th, so that’s a solid 4-day gap of poor quality.

Now, look ahead to Wednesday the 19th of August. We get a whisper of a very long-period groundswell coming in from the ESE with a period of 12 seconds. The swell height is only 3ft, but that energy reading jumps back up (323) and the wind is a light south to cross-off. It’ll be clean, but with such a long period and a small size, it could be a bit straight and closey at the reef. Worth a look for a longboard or a fish, but it’s a little inconsistent.

The tail end of the forecast is pretty quiet again. We get a glassy morning on Wednesday the 26th with a bit of 3ft ENE swell, but it’s ordinary surf. A long, drawn-out outlook with one true standout session.

The Call: Don’t mess around. Your best shot is Tuesday afternoon (August 11th) and possibly Wednesday morning (August 12th) at Shark Island. The solid 5ft south swell with offshore wind on Tuesday is the one to circle.

Rusty.

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