Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with 1,553 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. 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 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Shelley Beach.
Right off the bat, this is a tough stretch. The first week is a write-off for any decent surf. Sunday the 12th through to Friday the 18th of July is a long, sad run of tiny, messy, or blown-out waves. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate at best, with cross-offshore winds and onshore chop ruining the shape. Honestly, for the first six days, the waves are so poor it’s barely worth paddling out. A few mornings see a little bit of a swell, but the wind is never on your side.
The real highlight, the one that has me a little excited, is Sunday the 19th of July. The morning looks like a beauty. The swell picks up to a solid 8ft from the East, with a period of 11 seconds. That’s decent groundswell energy, and the combined energy is a massive 2373 (strong!). The key here is the wind: glassy, dead calm, with a light southwest breeze. For Shelley Beach, which is exposed from the Southeast, having that East swell and glassy conditions is a dream. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. This is the standout session for experienced surfers, as that 8ft is a bit meaty for beginners. The break is consistent, so you’ll get waves, but expect some company as crowds are a possibility.
After that, the surf settles back down. The following week has some pulsing swells, with a few days offering 6ft to 8ft from the East-Southeast, but the wind is never as clean as that Sunday glass-off. Thursday the 23rd of July morning has another glassy window with a 6ft ESE swell (804 combined energy, moderate-strong), which is a good, cleaner option for the intermediate crew. Friday the 24th has a small, clean 3ft to 4ft swell with a gentle offshore wind from the Northwest, and that’s a good, easy-going option for a fun, uncrowded session. The last few days of the outlook drop off into tiny, clean but weak surf.
So, to sum it up: don’t bother with the first week. The pick of the entire 16 days is the morning of Sunday, July 19th. That’s your best chance for a proper, memorable session. After that, keep an eye on Thursday the 23rd morning for another clean window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sun night, light winds from the NW by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Wed morning, light winds from the SW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Sat 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 8 | S 12 | S 11 | S 7 | S 16 | SSW 5 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 194 | 107 | 50 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 27 | 727 | 1279 | 893 | 456 | 306 | 332 | 564 | 434 | 474 | 749 | 655 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | on |
High Tide | 6:06AM1.07m | 6:19PM1.74m | 7:08AM1.11m | 7:13PM1.82m | 8:03AM1.14m | 8:04PM1.86m | 8:55AM1.18m | 8:54PM1.85m | 9:44AM1.21m | 9:42PM1.79m | 10:32AM1.23m | 10:29PM1.67m | 11:20AM1.25m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 00:15AM0.17m | 11:38AM0.29m | 1:13AM0.06m | 12:36PM0.26m | 2:06AM-0.02m | 1:30PM0.24m | 2:56AM-0.06m | 2:23PM0.23m | 3:43AM-0.06m | 3:15PM0.24m | 4:28AM-0.02m | 4:07PM0.28m | 5:10AM0.04m | 5:01PM0.35m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | | |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — |
 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 18 | 19 | 13 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 11 | — | — | — | S 14 | S 13 | E 9 | S 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | S 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 194 | 107 | 50 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 21 | — | — | — | 16 | 14 | 332 | 25 | 434 | 474 | 8 | 655 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | ESE 8 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 16 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | — | S 12 | S 11 | S 15 | S 10 |
| kJ | 47 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | — | 24 | 21 | 18 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | S 14 | S 5 | S 12 | S 11 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | S 19 | S 10 | S 19 |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 29 | 8 | 27 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | W 4 | W 3 | W 4 | WNW 3 | NW 2 | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | SSW 5 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 7 | ESE 9 | S 6 | S 6 | ESE 9 | S 6 |
| kJ | 2 | 13 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 5 | — | 27 | 727 | 1279 | 893 | 456 | 306 | 107 | 564 | 57 | 67 | 749 | 48 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 30 | 30 | 157 | 22 | 95 | 161 | 228 | 296 | 13 | 41 | 180 | 41 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 41 | 11 | 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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