Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, S swell with 343 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Shelley Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Shelley Beach in the next 16 days are 1.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, letting you know what's cooking for Shelley Beach.
Honestly, looking ahead, we've got a bit of a mixed bag. The next week is looking pretty average, with a lot of onshore wind and messy conditions. The real standout, and I mean the only one worth circling on your calendar, is Sunday the 23rd of August. That morning, the wave energy is pumping with a combined energy of 5155, but it's a bit of a beast at 13 feet from the south with a 10-second period. It's going to be too big and clean for everyone except the experts. However, that Sunday afternoon, things settle. The swell drops to a still-chunky 10 feet from the south, but the wind goes gentler, and the conditions are favorable. It's still big, but the most promising session in the whole outlook.
Let's walk through it day by day. We start on Friday the 14th. The morning offers some hope with clean, 4 feet south swell and light cross-offshore wind, making for a pleasant session. But the afternoon falls apart with onshore wind. Saturday the 15th is a write-off with rain and onshore wind chopping up a 5 feet south swell. Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th are much the same story: onshore wind and poor surf. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are marginal at best, with small, weak swell and persistent cross-onshore winds.
Now, Thursday the 20th of August is interesting. In the morning, we get a glassy session. The waves are only 4 feet from the ESE with a 7-second period, so it's not powerful, but the water is glassy. The water temp is about average for August at 64°. It's surfable, but very ordinary. Friday the 21st offers a similar, small and clean option, but nothing to get excited about. Saturday the 22nd is a dud with tiny 2 feet waves and strong wind.
Then we hit that Sunday the 23rd. As I said, the morning is for experts only with a huge 13 feet south swell. The afternoon is the pick: 10 feet from the south, and the wind is gentle cross-onshore, making it the best on offer, but still big. The energy is off the charts at 3564. After that, Monday the 24th morning drops back to a more manageable 4 feet from the south with clean, cross-offshore wind. Good fun for the more moderate surfers. The rest of the week into the end of the month is a washout. There's a massive 18 feet swell arriving on the 27th, but it's accompanied by brutal 18 mph onshore winds. The next few days are just big, stormy, and ugly. Not worth the drive.
So, to sum it up: the next week is mostly a write-off. The one standout is the afternoon of Sunday the 23rd for the experienced chargers, with big, powerful surf. The morning of Monday the 24th is a decent second option for a smaller, cleaner wave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SSE 7 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
149 | 89 | 162 | 316 | 157 | 193 | 192 | 99 | 117 | 113 | 105 | 85 | 78 | 86 | 94 | 231 | 109 | 88 | 66 | 81 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:19PM1.68m | 9:58AM1.36m | 10:01PM1.54m | 10:39AM1.38m | 10:43PM1.39m | 11:21AM1.37m | 11:25PM1.23m | 12:04PM1.35m | 00:11AM1.08m | 12:53PM1.32m | 1:06AM0.96m | 1:49PM1.28m | 2:17AM0.88m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:50AM0.03m | 3:50PM0.23m | 4:26AM0.10m | 4:39PM0.29m | 5:00AM0.19m | 5:30PM0.36m | 5:34AM0.29m | 6:26PM0.44m | 6:11AM0.39m | 7:30PM0.50m | 6:54AM0.47m | 8:46PM0.53m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SSE 7 | S 9 | SSE 19 | SSE 7 | SSE 18 | SSE 18 | S 8 | ESE 7 | S 9 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 6 |
149 | 89 | 162 | 70 | 157 | 60 | 61 | 95 | 117 | 74 | 105 | 85 | 78 | 86 | 93 | 231 | 109 | 88 | 66 | 81 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | S 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 18 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SE 7 | S 9 | S 12 | S 8 | S 8 | S 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 10 | S 9 | — | E 12 | E 11 | E 10 |
18 | 28 | 17 | 18 | 60 | 10 | 20 | 7 | 78 | 28 | 30 | 22 | 55 | 81 | 94 | 14 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | ENE 9 | SSE 19 | S 14 | ENE 10 | S 12 | S 15 | SSE 17 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 14 | S 10 | S 8 | S 15 | — | — | — | — |
19 | 17 | 37 | 4 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 30 | 62 | 53 | 17 | 23 | 47 | 30 | 21 | 4 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 8 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | ESE 7 | — | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | NE 5 |
— | — | — | 316 | — | 193 | 192 | 99 | — | 113 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 49 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 166 | 180 | 11 | 11 | 228 | 125 | 11 | 46 | 0 | 9 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 562 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Shelley Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Shelley Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Shelley Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Shelley Beach 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 (Shelley Beach) 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 Shelley Beach 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Newcastle? If you are looking for accommodation near Shelley Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Newcastle, consider staying in Central Coast which is 20 km (12 miles) away. Other places in and around Newcastle where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Catherine Hill Bay which is 24 km (15 miles) away, Dee Why, Newcastle and Hornsby.











