Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.06° S 151.16° E

Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Shark Island (Cronulla) sea temperature is
16.3° C
1.3° 

Shark Island (Cronulla) surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Shark Island (Cronulla) surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s period, ESE swell with 197 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with ESE 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Shark Island (Cronulla) in the next 16 days are 1.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Tue 18th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 6s
Best Surf 7AM (Tue 18th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 6s
Most Powerful 4PM (Wed 19th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shark Island (Cronulla) over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming up for Shark Island (Cronulla). It’s a bit of a quiet start, so don’t get your hopes up for the first week or so.

We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing much to get excited about. From Monday the 17th of August right through to Sunday the 23rd of August, it’s all poor surf conditions. Tiny little sloppy waves, mostly onshore or messy winds, and energy readings are low—mostly well under 265. You’d be wasting your time paddling out. The water temp is around average for this time of year, nothing special there.

Monday the 24th of August shows a tiny glimmer early morning with a clean 2ft south swell, period around 10 seconds. It’s surfable but ordinary, and combined wave energy is only 120 (weak to moderate). The wind is light and off the WSW, so it’ll be clean, but don’t expect much push.

Now, Tuesday the 25th of August is where things start looking interesting. The morning sees a 5ft south swell with a 9-second period and combined energy jumping to 391 (moderate). Wind is light and cross-shore from the NW, so it’ll be a bit of a cross-chop but not too messy. But the standout is Tuesday afternoon: an SSE swell at 5ft, period up to 11 seconds, and combined energy hitting a solid 828 (moderate to strong). Wind is light and cross-onshore from the ESE, so it’ll be a little bumpy, but with that much energy and a decent period, there’ll be some proper sets rolling in. This is a reef break that’s fairly exposed to swell, so it’ll handle that size well—but at 5ft, it’s getting into more advanced territory, so beginners might struggle. The swell direction from the SSE lines up nicely with the optimum SE direction, so there’ll be some nice lines. Crowds can show up here sometimes, so keep that in mind.

From Wednesday the 26th through to the end of the month, the swell backs off again and the winds get strong—clean but strong, with gusts up to 25 mph. That’s more of a kite day than a paddle day. The waves stay small, mostly under 3ft, and energy levels drop back down below 400. The last week of August and into September looks like more of the same: small, weak, and not worth the drive.

So, to sum it up: the only real window to get a wave is Tuesday the 25th of August, with the afternoon offering the best combo of size, energy, and clean-ish conditions. Everything else before and after is pretty bleak. Don’t stress though—forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
S
10
1
ESE
7
1
ESE
7
0.9
ESE
7
0.9
ESE
7
0.9
ESE
7
0.6
ESE
11
0.6
ESE
10
1
ESE
10
0.9
ESE
9
0.7
ESE
6
0.9
E
6
0.8
E
6
0.7
ENE
6
0.6
ENE
6
0.4
ENE
6
0.4
NE
6
0.4
NE
6
0.4
NE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
141
93
85
79
77
77
102
82
197
132
44
65
51
41
30
15
10
10
10
Wind (km/h)
15
ESE
10
E
15
SE
10
NE
10
NE
10
E
10
WNW
10
NW
20
NE
10
NW
15
NNW
10
NE
10
WNW
5
WSW
10
NNW
15
NW
20
WSW
15
SE
5
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross
on
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
on
cross
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
off
cross
glassy
High Tide
10:52PM1.38m
11:28AM1.37m
11:35PM1.22m
12:12PM1.34m
00:22AM1.08m
1:00PM1.31m
1:18AM0.96m
1:56PM1.28m
2:30AM0.88m
2:59PM1.27m
3:51AM0.87m
4:04PM1.30m
Low Tide
5:08AM0.21m
5:38PM0.36m
5:43AM0.31m
6:34PM0.43m
6:20AM0.40m
7:39PM0.49m
7:03AM0.48m
8:53PM0.51m
7:59AM0.54m
10:10PM0.50m
9:07AM0.57m
11:13PM0.45m
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
light rain
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:31
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:25
5:25
5:27
5:28
5:29
5:29
 mm
7
4
3
3
2
1
4
3
Temp °C
15
15
15
15
16
16
16
16
16
15
19
18
19
15
14
14
17
16
16
Feels °C
11
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
13
13
16
16
17
13
11
11
14
13
16
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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