Shelley Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.36° S 151.51° E

Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 03 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Shelley Beach sea temperature is
17.9° C
0.4° 

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 3 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period, SE swell with 216 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period with SE 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 (Aug 03) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s. 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Mon 3rd Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 11s
Best Surf 1PM (Mon 3rd Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 11s
Most Powerful 1PM (Mon 3rd Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Gap at the start, folks. Monday and Tuesday are basically a write-off – Shelley’s got nothing but dribble, and even when it’s clean, there’s no push. The first real chance to even think about paddling out is Thursday the 6th, but honestly, it’s pretty weak sauce.

Then we hit a real flat spell. From the 4th through the 10th, it’s mostly small and sloppy. A couple of mornings look glassy, but the swell’s just not there. It’s a long stretch of nothing worth getting excited about. You’d be better off doing maintenance on your boards or watching the cams and dreaming.

Now, the first standout is Saturday the 15th. That’s the one to circle. We’ve got a solid 5.9ft of south swell rolling in, and it’s glassy off the shore with a light SSW breeze. Shelley (Canterbury) is exposed and picks up that south energy well, it’s coming from the right direction. The water’s sitting at 64.2°, which is about normal for this time of year. The energy reading is 739, a solid moderate push. It’ll be a proper, clean session with some grunt. This is the best on offer. And with that 10-second period, it should have a bit of shape to it.

The day before, Friday the 14th, gets interesting too, but it’s messy. The swell jumps to 5.2ft, then 7.9ft in the afternoon, with energy readings climbing to 831 and then 2068 – that’s a strong pulse. But the wind is all over the place, cross and then onshore, so it’ll be lumpy. That’s more for the experienced locals who know the bank. 7.9ft is into the expert-only zone.

The following week drops off again. Sunday the 16th has a clean 4.3ft morning with glassy conditions, a nice little drop-in, but nothing massive. The 17th has a bit more size, around 4.6ft, but the wind is on it, so it loses points. The long-range stuff is promising, but I wouldn’t book the time off work for it yet. It’s a couple of good days, but the standout is definitely the 15th.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
SE
11
0.9
SE
11
0.6
SE
10
0.4
SE
10
0.4
SE
7
0.4
SSW
5
0.4
E
10
0.4
E
9
0.7
S
8
0.8
S
8
0.8
S
8
1
S
9
0.9
S
9
0.8
S
9
0.8
S
9
0.7
S
8
0.8
S
8
0.7
S
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
254
187
84
25
12
8
31
27
60
84
80
164
132
103
96
65
92
65
81
78
92
Wind (km/h)
10
N
20
NNW
10
W
15
W
10
SE
15
W
15
W
10
E
15
W
5
WNW
15
ENE
10
W
5
WSW
10
SE
10
W
0
WSW
10
ENE
10
NNW
15
N
25
N
25
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
11:16AM1.29m
11:09PM1.35m
12:01PM1.32m
11:57PM1.24m
12:52PM1.35m
00:56AM1.12m
1:51PM1.39m
2:10AM1.03m
2:58PM1.44m
3:35AM0.98m
4:06PM1.52m
4:56AM1.00m
5:11PM1.61m
Low Tide
5:08PM0.40m
5:35AM0.19m
6:03PM0.43m
6:16AM0.25m
7:10PM0.45m
7:05AM0.31m
8:28PM0.44m
8:05AM0.36m
9:50PM0.38m
9:15AM0.39m
11:05PM0.28m
10:25AM0.38m
00:08AM0.16m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:43
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:39
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:15
5:16
5:17
5:17
5:19
5:20
 mm
Temp °C
21
21
17
17
17
12
16
16
12
13
14
13
14
14
14
14
15
14
20
20
17
Feels °C
17
16
13
13
14
7
13
12
7
10
10
9
11
11
12
12
11
10
15
14
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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