
Surf Forecasts:
Shark Island (Cronulla) surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, ENE swell with 647 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Shark Island (Cronulla) this week:
The surf forecast for Shark Island (Cronulla) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Shark Island (Cronulla) in the next 16 days are 1.7m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shark Island (Cronulla) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – for the next week or so, Shark Island’s pulling a bit of a blank. We’ve got a solid run of poor surf, marginal conditions, and ordinary wind, so don’t bother rushing down. The first real chance of something decent isn’t until Monday the 20th, and even then it’s a tease.
The real story starts to build from the 28th of July, when a proper south swell finally kicks in. That’s the standout period. But before we get there, we’ve got a long stretch of quiet.
Alright, let’s break it down.
Wednesday the 15th of July has a bit of 7ft south swell, but the wind is a cross-off southerly at 25 km/h. The water’s sitting at 62°, which is about normal for this time of year, and the combined energy is moderate (691). It’s a score of 1, so it’s marginal – tide issues and messy vibes. Not worth the paddle.
Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are a write-off. Fresh breezes, rain, and tiny or poor swell. Saturday the 18th has a bit of knee-high easterly stuff, but again, wind is cross-off and the energy is weak (117 to 181). Don’t bother.
Sunday the 19th is where we see a glimmer. A 6ft swell from the east-northeast, with a period of 10 seconds, and light cross-shore wind from the southeast at 10 km/h. The combined energy is moderate (656 to 689). It’s still marginal though, and the score is only a 1 or 2. The wind is light cross-shore, so there’s a few small ripples, but it’s not clean. You could get a wave, but it’s not anything to write home about.
Monday the 20th has a decent morning window. Early, the wind swings around to a light west-northwest at 10 km/h, giving a clean cross-off. The swell is 5ft from the east-northeast, period 10 seconds, and energy is moderate (611). The score is a 2, and it says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the best of the first week. It’s a proper reef break, so it’ll handle the east-northeast swell well, and the wind is light enough to keep it clean. But it’s not a huge standout – crowds are possible here, and it’s an advanced spot, so be ready for that.
From Tuesday the 21st through to the 27th, it’s mostly small, ordinary, or poor. There’s a few mornings with clean offshore winds, like the 22nd and 23rd, but the swell is tiny (4ft dropping to 3ft) and the energy is weak (143 to 287). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. You’d be scratching for waves.
Now, here’s the real deal. Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning fires up with a clean 6ft south swell, period 9 seconds, and a moderate offshore wind from the south-southwest at 20 km/h. The combined energy is moderate (550). The score is a 2, and it says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the first proper standout. The wave energy is building, the wind is offshore and clean, and the swell is heading in a good direction for Shark Island. It’s not huge, but it’s got some push.
The afternoon of the 28th, the swell jumps up to 8ft from the south, period 10 seconds. The energy is very strong (1173). The wind, however, is a fresh southerly cross-off at 30 km/h. The score is a 1, and it’s marginal. For experts only at that size, and the wind will make it lumpy. Still, it’s a big swell.
Wednesday the 29th of July, morning is a gem. A 7ft south swell, period 8 seconds, with a gentle offshore wind from the south-southwest at 15 km/h. The energy is moderate (643). The score is a 2, and it says “expect good surf conditions.” The wind is light and clean, so the waves will be well-shaped. This is another standout window.
The 30th of July, Thursday morning, is the pick of the entire forecast. A 6ft south swell, but with a period of 11 seconds – proper groundswell – and a light westerly cross-off at 10 km/h. The combined energy is strong (767). The score is a 3, saying “expect very good surf conditions.” The wind is light, the swell is long-period, and it’s directed south. For a reef like Shark Island, this is money. The long period will give some nice, powerful lines, and the light wind will keep it glassy. The afternoon gets messy as the wind swings onshore, so hit the morning.
So, overall, don’t waste your time until Monday the 20th, and even then keep expectations low. The real action is Tuesday the 28th through to Thursday the 30th. The 30th of July morning is the absolute standout. Paddle out with a plan.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Thu morning, light winds from the SSE by Fri afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wed 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | E 8 | E 6 | S 10 | E 7 | E 7 | E 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
691 | 320 | 464 | 585 | 159 | 10 | 42 | 90 | 83 | 106 | 287 | 586 | 647 | 585 | 500 | 442 | 442 | 388 | 388 | 331 | 263 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross-off | on | cross | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:00PM1.84m | 9:51AM1.21m | 9:48PM1.77m | 10:40AM1.24m | 10:36PM1.66m | 11:28AM1.26m | 11:23PM1.50m | 12:16PM1.27m | 00:11AM1.33m | 1:05PM1.28m | 1:02AM1.17m | 1:57PM1.29m | 1:59AM1.03m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:49AM-0.06m | 3:22PM0.25m | 4:34AM-0.02m | 4:15PM0.29m | 5:17AM0.05m | 5:09PM0.34m | 5:58AM0.14m | 6:07PM0.41m | 6:38AM0.23m | 7:10PM0.47m | 7:19AM0.32m | 8:19PM0.51m | 8:02AM0.41m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | |
5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | 5:07 | |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 15 | S 18 | S 18 | S 7 | E 8 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
— | 4 | 25 | 27 | 159 | 10 | 42 | 67 | 83 | 106 | 287 | 586 | 647 | 585 | 500 | 442 | 442 | 388 | 388 | 331 | 263 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 19 | S 15 | S 8 | S 10 | S 21 | S 10 | S 8 | SSE 17 | S 8 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
— | — | — | — | 27 | 5 | 21 | 90 | 34 | 44 | 22 | 59 | 10 | 114 | 102 | 98 | 58 | 36 | 31 | 17 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 8 | S 19 | S 11 | S 21 | — | S 20 | SSE 19 | S 8 | S 14 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SSE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 |
— | — | — | — | 5 | 7 | 21 | 9 | — | 31 | 68 | 11 | 32 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | ESE 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | — | S 4 | S 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | — | — | — |
691 | 320 | 464 | 585 | 32 | 104 | 50 | — | 27 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 0 | 120 | 131 | 43 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sydney South Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Shark Island (Cronulla) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Shark Island (Cronulla) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Shark Island (Cronulla) surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Shark Island (Cronulla)) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Shark Island (Cronulla) may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Shark Island (Cronulla) is 2 km (1 miles) from Cronulla. If you plan a holiday in Sydney South Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Cronulla. Cronulla has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











