Shelley Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.36° S 151.51° E

Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Shelley Beach sea temperature is
18.6°C
0.3° 

Shelley Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Shelley Beach surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with 2,592 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with S 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 (Sep 07) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Shelley Beach in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Mon 7th Sep)4.5ft (1.4m) 8s
Best Surf 7AM (Tue 8th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Most Powerful 1AM (Thu 10th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Shelley Beach. We’ve got a bit of a slow start and some tricky windows, but there is a solid run of quality surf coming in the second week if you can wait it out.

First up, the water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, nothing unusual to report there. The first real chance to get wet is Monday the 7th of September, early. We’ve got a clean, glassy morning with 5ft SSE swell at 8 seconds – short period, so it’ll be a bit crumbly, but with zero wind and clean conditions, it’s a fun option for an intermediate surfer. Energy is moderate (261). Later that day the wind swings and ruins it, so make the most of the morning.

Tuesday the 8th is a write-off. The swell jumps up to 8ft but it’s cross-onshore and messy. That kind of size with poor conditions is not worth it – over 8ft is expert territory and the chop will make it a battle. Wednesday the 9th has a tiny window in the morning – 4ft, 8 seconds, but with a light cross-on breeze it’s marginal at best. Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th are both plagued by strong, onshore winds and lumpy conditions. Swell stays up but quality is poor. Not recommended.

We get a slight improvement on Saturday the 12th morning – 6ft SSE swell at a longer 11 seconds, so it’ll have a bit more shape and energy (748). Gentle cross-shore breeze, so there’s a slight chop, but it’s surfable for intermediates. Not a standout, but better than the previous days. Sunday the 13th morning has a tiny clean wave – only 3ft and light cross-off wind – but it’s small and weak. The following week starts flat and small. Monday the 14th to Wednesday the 16th is mostly weak, small surf with average conditions. Not worth paddling out.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. The real standout is Saturday the 19th of September. We’ve got a moderate offshore breeze from the WNW in the morning, with a clean 6ft S swell at 9 seconds. That’s a solid, punchy wave with good energy (967). Conditions are looking very good – clean faces, light offshore wind, and the swell direction matches the optimum from the southeast. This is the best on offer for Shelley Beach. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off breeze, same size, longer period at 11 seconds, giving it even more shape and power (804). Sunday the 20th morning is also a winner – 7ft S swell at 10 seconds, clean with light offshore winds (833). This is solid intermediate-to-expert territory. If you can hold out, that weekend is the one.

After that, Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd fade quickly into small, choppy, onshore slop. So, in summary: the first week is mostly a bust with a few small clean windows. The real magic is the weekend of the 19th and 20th of September – clean offshore winds, decent to solid swell, and good energy. Worth the wait. Crowds are listed as “sometimes” at Shelley Beach, so on that kind of quality, expect company.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, strong winds from the S by Wed afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Wed night, light winds from the ESE by Sat afternoon).

Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
0
0
0
1
2
1
0
0
1
0
!
1
1
1
2
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2
S
10
1.4
SSE
8
1.6
SSE
9
2.5
S
8
2.5
SSE
9
2
SSE
9
1.7
SSE
9
1.3
SSE
8
2.3
SSE
8
3.5
S
10
2.5
S
9
3
S
9
3
S
10
2.2
S
10
2.3
S
10
2
SSE
10
1.7
SSE
11
1.6
SSE
11
1.4
SSE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
745
251
372
816
1073
603
464
249
561
2592
1055
1271
1827
904
952
712
698
531
327
Wind (km/h)
10
SSW
5
N
20
E
35
S
25
S
15
SSE
10
NW
10
SSW
40
S
35
S
25
SW
30
S
20
W
15
SSW
20
SSE
20
SW
15
SSW
10
ESE
10
WNW
Wind State
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross
cross
on
cross-off
High Tide
4:59AM1.02m
5:00PM1.56m
5:57AM1.12m
5:57PM1.63m
6:45AM1.22m
6:46PM1.66m
7:28AM1.31m
7:31PM1.65m
8:07AM1.40m
8:14PM1.59m
8:44AM1.46m
8:54PM1.50m
Low Tide
10:57PM0.24m
10:24AM0.43m
11:54PM0.15m
11:28AM0.35m
00:41AM0.08m
12:24PM0.28m
1:23AM0.04m
1:14PM0.21m
2:00AM0.03m
2:01PM0.17m
2:35AM0.06m
2:47PM0.17m
3:07AM0.11m
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
cloud
cloud
light rain
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:05
6:03
6:01
6:01
5:58
5:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:38
5:39
5:40
5:40
5:42
5:43
 mm
2
2
Temp °C
16
18
17
15
16
16
14
16
14
14
14
15
15
16
15
15
16
15
16
Feels °C
14
14
14
9
10
13
13
13
6
4
8
10
11
12
12
12
14
13
15
  • Map Icons:
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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 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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