Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s comin’ down at Shark Island (Cronulla).

We’re in for a bit of a rough start, with a big gap of poor conditions before things start to clean up. The water’s sitting at 64° right now, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing weird going on there.

Monday morning (7th September) is a write-off: clear skies, a light cross-shore from the NW at 6 mph, but the swell is small and messy at 4ft from the SSE with a short period of 8 seconds. The energy’s weak (258) and it’s just poor. No point paddling out. Monday afternoon is no better – that swell bumps up a touch to 5ft from the SSE with a cross-shore ESE wind at 9 mph and the energy is still weak (363). Pass.

Tuesday (8th September) has a bit more size but the wind is howling from the S at 16 mph in the morning, making things messy. The swell is 8ft from the SSE, period 9 seconds, and energy is moderate (935). It’s a marginal call at best. Tuesday afternoon drops to 7ft with a light SE cross-shore at 6 mph, but it’s still not great.

Wednesday (9th September) is a shocker. Morning has 3ft S swell with a fresh SSW breeze at 19 mph – that’s just poor. By afternoon, the wind cranks up to 28 mph from the S and the swell jumps to 10ft, but the energy is high (1284) and it’s all blown out. Not for paddle surfing, that’s kite territory.

Thursday (10th September) stays big – 10ft S swell all day, with a period of 10 seconds and energy up to 1650 in the morning and 2086 in the afternoon. Wind is still strong from the SSW at 19 mph. The score is a 2, which is just marginal. This is big, powerful, and bumpy – only for the experienced and even then it’s a slog.

Here’s the standout: Friday morning (11th September). This is the best of the lot. The swell drops to 8ft from the S, period 10 seconds, and the wind is light from the S at 6 mph – that’s cross-off and clean. The energy is massive (2359) and the conditions are rated excellent for experienced surfers. This is a groundswell with a solid period, so expect long wait times between sets, but the waves will be well-shaped and powerful. The reef will handle that direction nicely. It’s not a beginner wave at this size, but if you’ve got the skills, this is the session to chase.

Friday afternoon sees the swell drop to 7ft from the SSE with a moderate SSE breeze at 12 mph – still clean but less energy (663).

Saturday morning (12th September) is a surprise: glassy conditions with the wind dropping to 3 mph from the S. The swell is 5ft from the SSE, period 11 seconds, and energy is moderate (665). The conditions are expected to be good. This is a great option for a relaxed session, with clean, lined-up waves. The long period will make for some nice, pushy sets. Saturday afternoon gets a cross-on shore from the E at 6 mph, so the morning is the pick.

From Sunday (13th September) onwards, it’s a slow fade. The swell drops, winds turn onshore or cross-on, and the energy plummets. There’s a long stretch of poor-to-marginal conditions through to the end of the period. Sunday has 3ft SSE swell with a NE wind at 19 mph – choppy and ugly. Monday (14th) is tiny at 2ft. Tuesday (15th) is 1.0ft with strong S winds. Even Wednesday (16th) sees a 7ft S swell but the wind is cross-on from the NNW at 9 mph, making it messy.

The last real chance is Tuesday morning (22nd September) – 10ft S swell, period 8 seconds, light cross-on from the N at 6 mph. The energy is strong (1371) and the score is a 3, but it’s marginal. The wind is light, but the period is short, so it’ll be a bit fat and hard to get into. That’s a long way out though, so keep an eye on it.

Overall, Friday morning (11th September) is your best bet – solid size, clean wind, and a reef that’ll handle the S swell. Saturday morning (12th) is a good backup if you want something a bit smaller and glassy. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a write-off with a few small windows of hope.

Stay stoked,
Rusty.

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