Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period, S swell with 235 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. 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 1.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Shelley Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Right now, we’re in a bit of a flat spell. The first surfable waves don't really show up until Sunday morning, the 23rd of August. That’s a dry patch of a couple of days with nothing worth paddling for. Sunday morning, the ocean goes glassy, and there’s a south swell rolling in at about 3 ft, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 175. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about – just ordinary conditions. The water temperature is 64°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year, so it’s pretty average.
The real standout of this whole forecast is Sunday the 30th of August. That morning, we’ve got glassy conditions, a clean 4 ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 300. This is the best on offer – clean, punchy, and with hardly any wind. It’s not huge, but it’ll be fun. The afternoon gets a bit bigger, pushing 6 ft from the same direction, but the wind swings cross-on and the energy jumps to 415. That’s still surfable, but the morning is the pick.
Another one to keep an eye on is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August. Clean conditions with a 3 ft swell from the ENE (energy 141), and a light cross-off breeze. Not a standout, but a solid session.
For the experts, the morning of Monday the 31st of August has a 6 ft ENE swell, with a clean offshore wind from the WSW. The combined energy is 596 – strong stuff. But the period is short at 7 seconds, so it'll be a bit lumpy and dumpy. Still, if you’ve got the skills, it’s worth a look.
From there, the window gets messy. The beginning of September sees a lot of wind and choppy conditions. The morning of Thursday the 3rd of September has a clean 4 ft NE swell (energy 317) with a cross-off breeze, but the afternoon gets blown out. That’s a promising one, but it’s a long way off – nearly two weeks – so stay tuned.
Overall, Sunday the 30th of August morning is your best bet. It’s clean, glassy, and has a decent little swell. Get out there if you can.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | S 8 | ENE 6 | S 11 | S 14 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 41 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 141 | 101 | 206 | 118 | 89 | 66 | 47 | 51 | 127 | 125 | 125 | 92 | 83 | 83 | 59 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:54PM1.27m | 3:41AM0.86m | 4:00PM1.29m | 4:54AM0.89m | 4:58PM1.35m | 5:47AM0.94m | 5:46PM1.42m | 6:29AM1.01m | 6:27PM1.49m | 7:06AM1.09m | 7:04PM1.54m | 7:41AM1.17m | 7:40PM1.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:05PM0.51m | 8:59AM0.56m | 11:09PM0.46m | 10:09AM0.54m | 11:58PM0.39m | 11:07AM0.50m | 00:37AM0.32m | 11:56AM0.43m | 1:11AM0.24m | 12:39PM0.37m | 1:43AM0.18m | 1:19PM0.32m | 2:14AM0.13m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | |  |  | |  | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | S 8 | ENE 6 | S 11 | S 8 | S 10 | ENE 6 | S 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 7 | S 7 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 41 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 141 | 86 | 206 | 48 | 89 | 53 | 47 | 51 | 127 | 125 | 125 | 92 | 83 | 83 | 59 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SE 7 | S 10 | S 6 | ENE 6 | S 6 | SE 4 | S 14 | ENE 8 | S 10 | E 13 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 5 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 7 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 101 | 7 | 118 | 3 | 66 | 41 | 39 | 23 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 73 | 75 | 44 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | SE 8 | S 9 | S 6 | ENE 3 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 17 | S 16 | S 15 | S 10 | S 14 | S 13 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 32 | 22 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 14 | 36 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 2 | N 3 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | — | SE 3 | SE 4 | E 4 | ENE 5 | — | ENE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | — | — | — | NE 3 |
| kJ | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 17 | 12 | 26 | — | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 37 | 219 | 219 | 335 | 91 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 329 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 11 | 162 | 166 | 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.
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