Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s period, E swell with 804 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period with E 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. 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 1.9m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got a look at what's coming up for Shelley Beach over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you, it's a pretty grim stretch. There are no good surf options on the cards in this 16-day window, so don't get your hopes up. This is a consistent break, so it tends not to stay poor for long, but right now, the stars are just not aligned.
The problem is that for the first week and a half, we're dealing with a messy mix of wind and swell. The surf that does show up is mostly small to medium, but the wind is almost always onshore or cross-shore, ruining any chance of a clean wave. The combined energy only gets up to moderate levels, like 637 (moderate wave energy) on Thursday the 16th when we see a 8ft SSE swell, but it's just a lumpy, onshore mess. Through the rest of that week and into the next, it's a lot of south to east swell around 3ft to 6ft, but the wind is coming from the wrong directions, and the water temp is about average for the time of year.
There's a brief glimmer on Tuesday morning, the 21st. The wind swings light and clean from the north, creating a cross-offshore breeze, and we get a clean surf report for a 4ft ENE swell with a 10-second period. The combined energy is 362 (moderate wave energy). It's not big, but it's the cleanest the water will be all week. The crowds are something to think about here, as it's a spot that does get busy sometimes, so if you're after a wave to yourself, this might not be the moment.
After that, the wind gets messy again and the swell drops right off. By the end of the second week, we're looking at tiny waves, 1ft to 2ft, with very weak combined energy, like 48 (weak wave energy) on Saturday the 25th. The wind also gets howling, with a strong SSW breeze at 19 mph, making it a lumpy cross-shore mess. Honestly, with that kind of wind and the poor quality of the surf, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, the short story is: there's no standout surf here. It's a blank run, and for this area, that's not unusual given the forecast. Don't be shocked if the forecasts change, but for now, I'd be looking elsewhere or taking a break.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Thu morning, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wed 22 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 7 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 367 | 588 | 607 | 155 | 69 | 86 | 108 | 152 | 203 | 535 | 804 | 666 | 509 | 459 | 402 | 342 | 300 | 320 | 314 | 209 | 173 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | glassy | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:44AM1.21m | 9:42PM1.79m | 10:32AM1.23m | 10:29PM1.67m | 11:20AM1.25m | 11:15PM1.51m | 12:09PM1.27m | 00:01AM1.34m | 12:59PM1.28m | 00:51AM1.17m | 1:51PM1.29m | 1:47AM1.03m | 2:45PM1.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:43AM-0.06m | 3:15PM0.24m | 4:28AM-0.02m | 4:07PM0.28m | 5:10AM0.04m | 5:01PM0.35m | 5:51AM0.13m | 5:59PM0.42m | 6:30AM0.22m | 7:01PM0.48m | 7:10AM0.31m | 8:11PM0.52m | 7:53AM0.39m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | | |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — |
 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 |
mm | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | S 15 | S 18 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 5 | 4 | 26 | 155 | 69 | 36 | 108 | 152 | 203 | 535 | 804 | 666 | 509 | 459 | 402 | 342 | 300 | 320 | 314 | 209 | 173 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 18 | S 13 | ESE 6 | E 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | — | 7 | 4 | 48 | 19 | 13 | 41 | 47 | 45 | 23 | 12 | 86 | 119 | 102 | 98 | 84 | 55 | 48 | 31 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 8 | S 16 | S 11 | S 21 | SSE 21 | SSE 19 | SSE 19 | SSE 17 | S 8 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | S 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 11 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 43 | 37 | 34 | 59 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | — | ESE 6 | E 6 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 5 | — | — |
| kJ | 367 | 588 | 607 | — | 48 | 86 | 14 | 4 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 44 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 150 | 46 | 11 | 11 | 35 | 11 | 11 | 125 | 35 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
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.
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