Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, giving you the rundown on Shark Island (Cronulla) for the next sixteen days. It’s a slow start, but there’s a proper pulse of south swell coming in late next week that’ll have the big-wave hunters fired up. The water’s at 62° right now, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker suit.

We kick off Thursday the 6th with nothing to get excited about. The swell is a weak 3ft from the south, but the wind is blowing onshore from the NE, making it a total mess. The combined energy is only 126, so it’s a no-go. Friday the 7th sees a tiny 2ft SSE swell, but the morning has a clean cross-off wind, so the surf is clean, just tiny. Saturday the 8th morning is the first real chance for a paddle. We’ve got 2ft of south swell, a light WNW cross-off, and the energy is weak at 92. The conditions are clean, giving you surfable but very ordinary little waves. The afternoon gets blown out. Sunday the 9th is a write-off with a cross-on breeze.

Monday the 10th has a 4ft swell from the ENE, with a strong WNW cross-off keeping the surface clean. The energy is moderate at 267, but the report says it’s poor, so likely not worth it. Tuesday the 11th is similar, with 4ft from the south, a cross-off wind, and energy at 413, but it’s marginal.

Now, the real stuff starts Thursday the 13th afternoon. The swell jumps to 12ft from the south, with a fresh WSW cross-off, and the energy is a massive 2940. The report calls it marginal, but for experts, this is a big, clean offshore day. The wind is strong offshore, making it clean but hard to paddle into. Friday the 14th is the absolute standout. The swell is still 12ft, but the period stretches to 12 seconds from the SSE, and the wind is a light WSW cross-off. The energy is huge at 2924, and the morning is clean. This is a long-period groundswell, so expect big sets and long lulls. The afternoon is even bigger, with the same 12ft from the south, but the energy jumps to 5420, which is very strong. A light SSE cross-off keeps it clean. This is for the advanced crew only, with that size.

Saturday the 15th still has 10ft from the south, but the wind picks up to a fresh SSW cross-off, making it a bit more of a handful. The energy is still high at 2829. The afternoon drops to 8ft with strong S wind, getting messy. From Sunday the 16th onward, the swell fades fast to 4ft or less, and the wind stays strong and cross-off, keeping it clean but weak. The energy drops to 436 and lower. The rest of the week into the 21st is a long stretch of small, weak surf, with the combined energy falling below 100 and the swell barely hitting 3ft. It’s a dry spell.

So, the one to go for is Friday the 14th. That 12ft SSE groundswell with light offshore winds is the best on offer. Thursday the 13th afternoon is also a cracker for the fearless. The crowds at Shark Island can be a problem, so expect company on the good days.

Rusty.

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