Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Shark Island (Cronulla). It’s a bit of a slow start, and we’re going to be waiting a while for anything decent.

Honestly, the first week is a write-off. From Sunday the 12th through to Tuesday the 14th, the swell is tiny – we’re talking 0.3ft to 2ft. Combined energy is barely a whisper (down to 15), and even though the winds are offshore or cross-off, there’s just nothing to ride. It’s a flat spell.

Wednesday the 15th sees a sudden jump in size, with a 7.2ft to 7.9ft southerly swell rolling in, but the period is a short, crumbly 8 to 9 seconds. The energy jumps to moderate (666 to 950), but the wind is a cross-off from the south at 25 km/h, and the report calls it poor or marginal. That size is pushing into expert-only territory, and with that short period, it’s going to be a bit of a mess. Not the one.

Thursday the 16th through to Saturday the 18th keeps the swell around 5ft to 6ft, but the wind stays strong and cross-off from the south (25 to 35 km/h), keeping the quality poor. The period drops to 7 seconds on Thursday, which is just awful. The energy is moderate (327 to 431), but it's not worth your time. Kite surfers might be eyeing this up, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a no-go.

Sunday the 19th is where it finally gets interesting, but it’s still a bit tricky. We’ve got a 7.9ft to 8.2ft easterly swell rolling in with a long 11-second period, and the combined energy rockets up to a strong 1433 to 1637. That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is light and cross-shore in the morning, but turns a bit cross in the afternoon. The rating is a 3/10, described as marginal. The size is big, so this is only for experienced surfers, and the long period might make it a bit straight at the beach, but a reef like Shark Island should handle it well. It’s the best of a bad bunch for the first week.

Monday the 20th keeps the size (6.6ft to 7.2ft) and the long period (11 seconds), but the wind starts to get onshore from the north-northeast in the afternoon, and the score drops to 1/10 or 2/10. The energy is still strong (1006 to 1228), but the wind is going to ruin it.

Now, the real standout. Tuesday the 21st. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The morning has a clean 5.9ft easterly groundswell (11 seconds) with light offshore winds from the west-southwest at 10 km/h. The combined energy is 808, and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” The wind is glassy and offshore, which is a major positive. The swell size is 5.9ft, which is a great size for advanced surfers, and a nice challenge for strong intermediates. The break is a reef, so it will handle the long period nicely. This is a genuine window of quality.

Wednesday the 22nd morning is also a strong option. The swell drops slightly to 5.2ft, but the period stretches to a very long 13 seconds, with the energy climbing back up to 1150. The wind is light and cross-off from the west at 10 km/h. Another clean, punchy morning at the reef. The best part of the second week is definitely the Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Thursday the 23rd onwards the wind starts to get messy, with onshore and cross-shore breezes picking up, and the swell direction shifts back to the south. The energy is still high, but the quality drops off. Friday the 24th has a fresh 30 km/h cross-shore wind, which will be lumpy. The following weekend (25th and 26th) sees the swell drop and the wind stay strong. The last few days of the forecast run flat again.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a total bust. The best bet is Tuesday the 21st morning with that clean 5.9ft easterly groundswell and light offshore wind. Wednesday the 22nd morning is also a gem. If you can only get out once, make it the 21st.

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