Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period, S swell with 403 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period with NE 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s 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 1.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up.
Alright, it’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag for Shelley Beach over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got some decent windows, but there’s also a fair bit of flatness to wade through, especially in the second week. The water is sitting at 64°F which is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.
The first solid run starts Monday the 24th morning. The sea is clean with a light cross-off breeze from the NNE, and the swell is a small but clean 3ft out of the south, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 208, so it’ll have a bit of push. This is a good, fun-sized wave for a grovel board. The north-westerly offshore direction is ideal for this spot, so it’s a nice little session on offer. The wind stiffens and swings onshore in the afternoon, so get out early.
Tuesday the 25th morning sees a jump in size to 5ft from the NE, but with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 330, but that short period means it’ll be a bit fat and crumbly. Still, with a cross-off wind from the NNW, it’s surfable, and the crowd can be a factor here sometimes, so don’t expect it to be empty.
The standout for the whole period is Friday the 28th morning. The wind is almost glassy from the NNE, a perfect cross-off, and the swell is 4ft out of the south with a solid 10-second period. The combined energy is 317. This is the kind of clean, lined-up south swell that Shelley Beach loves. The best session on offer.
After that, things drop off hard. The weekend and most of the following week are dominated by small, weak swell and either cross-onshore or onshore wind. There’s a tiny window on Tuesday the 1st of September morning with a glassy 2ft from the east, but it’s barely worth a paddle. The 16-day run fizzles out into tiny, weak waves with very low energy readings, often below 100.
For the brave, there’s a late pulse on Monday the 8th of September morning with a 3ft east-northeast swell and a clean cross-off wind, but the energy is just 100.
So, if you have to pick one, it’s Friday the 28th morning. Small, clean, well-shaped, and the best wind of the whole run. The rest of the time, you’ll be hunting for scraps.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Wed afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 10 | S 10 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 6 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 12 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 121 | 89 | 119 | 195 | 142 | 149 | 95 | 139 | 186 | 317 | 181 | 144 | 262 | 153 | 183 | 214 | 183 | 172 | 106 | 90 | 58 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 5:46PM1.42m | 6:29AM1.01m | 6:27PM1.49m | 7:06AM1.09m | 7:04PM1.54m | 7:41AM1.17m | 7:40PM1.57m | 8:15AM1.25m | 8:15PM1.57m | 8:49AM1.32m | 8:50PM1.54m | 9:24AM1.38m | 9:27PM1.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:07AM0.50m | 00:37AM0.32m | 11:56AM0.43m | 1:11AM0.24m | 12:39PM0.37m | 1:43AM0.18m | 1:19PM0.32m | 2:14AM0.13m | 1:59PM0.28m | 2:44AM0.10m | 2:39PM0.26m | 3:14AM0.10m | 3:21PM0.25m | 3:46AM0.12m | |||||||
 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — |
 | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 23 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | 121 | 89 | 75 | 88 | 142 | 149 | 95 | 78 | 54 | 317 | 181 | 134 | 262 | 153 | 183 | 214 | 183 | 172 | 106 | 90 | 58 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | S 17 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | — | S 15 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 31 | 23 | 47 | 27 | 27 | 14 | 6 | — | 5 | 42 | 34 | 144 | 38 | 37 | 35 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 37 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | — | ENE 9 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | — | S 11 | S 15 | S 14 | ENE 9 | S 15 | SE 11 | ENE 8 | NE 4 | S 10 | — | — | S 14 | S 18 |
| kJ | 6 | — | 8 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 19 | — | 2 | 18 | 37 | 44 | 17 | 30 | 24 | 1 | 17 | — | — | 4 | 25 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | — | NW 3 | SSW 9 | S 6 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 50 | 40 | 119 | 195 | — | 2 | 7 | 139 | 186 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 221 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 82 | 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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