Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and here’s the story for the next 16 days in the Cronulla region. We’ve got one spot to focus on: Shark Island (Cronulla). This is a reef break, fairly exposed, and it’s an advanced wave. The water temp is sitting at 62°—about 2° cooler than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker suit.

The outlook kicks off on Saturday, August 1st, with a bit of promise. The swell is 5 ft from the SSE, period around 9 seconds, and the wave energy is moderate at 367. The real winner here is the wind: glassy, light easterly at 3 mph. That’s going to keep things clean and tidy. This is your standout session for the near term—nice, fun-sized waves with a bit of punch.

From Sunday, August 2nd, through to the 5th, things get messy. The wind swings around, picking up to 9-16 mph, and the swell drops off fast. By Tuesday, August 4th, we’re looking at tiny 0.7 ft waves—hardly worth paddling out for. There’s a gap of a few days here with no real surf on offer.

We get a brief flicker of hope on Friday, August 7th, with a 6 ft SSE swell and light westerly winds at 3 mph keeping it clean. The energy is moderate at 483, but the period is short at 9 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. Still, it’s the best of a weak bunch.

Then it’s back to small, poor conditions for most of the next week. The swell is inconsistent, and the wind is often onshore or cross-shore. Not much to get excited about.

But hold onto your board—Thursday, August 13th, is looking like a promising long-range standout. The swell picks up to 4 ft from the east, with a long 12-second period, and the wind is offshore from the WSW at 12 mph. The energy is moderate at 374, and conditions should be clean. This is a groundswell, so it’s got better shape and energy, but with that long period, it might break a bit straight at the reef. Still, it’s the best bet in the second week.

The following Friday, August 14th, sees a bigger 7 ft S swell roll in, but the energy is strong at 1272. That’s pushing into expert territory with a short 9-second period, and the wind is cross-offshore. It’s a bit of a wildcard—could be fun for the advanced crew, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.

After that, it fades out into tiny, clean but weak surf through the 16th. Overall, Saturday August 1st and Thursday August 13th are your best chances—the first for cleaner, fun waves, and the second for a bigger, more powerful groundswell if you’re willing to wait.

Rusty.

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