Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, S swell with 317 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 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 1.3m 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 1.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, it's Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer at Shelley Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Alright, so the outlook is a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. There's some swell around, but the wind is going to be the main player, and it's not always on our side. The water temp is sitting at about 64°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We kick off on Monday the 24th, but honestly, it's not looking good. A 2ft south swell with a short 10-second period, but it's getting hammered by a 16 mph cross-shore from the northeast. The combined energy is only 154, so it's weak, and the word on the street is poor surf. Don't bother.
Tuesday the 25th is a bit of a tease. The swell drops to 3ft from the ENE, but the period is a short 7 seconds. The morning has a cross-offshore wind from the north at 9 mph, which cleans it up a bit but the conditions are still ordinary. The afternoon gets a bit better with a proper offshore wind from the NNW at 12 mph, making it clean, but the waves are still just surfable, very ordinary. The energy is up to 170, still moderate. Not a standout.
Wednesday the 26th is a write-off. Onshore winds and a risk of thunderstorms, with a 4ft south swell and a pathetic 5-second period. The energy is 168, but it's lumpy and messy. Forget it.
Thursday the 27th sees a jump in size to 5ft from the south with an 8-second period, and the energy hits 369, so there's some moderate power there. But the wind is a light cross-onshore from the SSW at 6 mph, and it's only marginal. Not worth the paddle for the conditions.
Now, here's the one moment that looks good. Friday the 28th morning. The swell drops to 3ft from the south with an 8-second period, the energy is 211, but the key is the wind: it's glassy. Zero wind from the WNW. That's a major positive. The report says "expect good surf conditions". This is your best window in the whole forecast. Get out there early.
The rest of that day and the weekend goes downhill again. Onshore winds, lumpy conditions, and the swell stays around 4 to 4ft but with poor quality.
Sunday the 30th morning has another glassy moment with a 2ft swell from the southeast, but it's only surfable, not great. The energy is 167.
Then we hit a bit of a flat spell. From Monday the 31st right through to the end of the forecast period, the swell drops right off to 1.0ft to 2ft, with periods all over the place. The energy drops into the weak range (32 to 150). There are a few moments of glassy conditions or clean offshore winds, but with next to no swell, it's just not going to be worth it. The wind on the 5th of September picks up a 5ft swell from the NE, but with a short 7-second period and onshore wind, it's only marginal and the energy is strong at 511, but it's messy.
So, the bottom line? The only real highlight is Friday the 28th morning. That glassy window with a clean 3ft south swell is your best bet. Get on it, because after that, it's a long stretch of mostly poor to flat conditions. The second week is very quiet, with nothing to get excited about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the SE by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 5 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
87 | 119 | 102 | 123 | 126 | 95 | 90 | 245 | 317 | 228 | 153 | 111 | 263 | 197 | 203 | 231 | 158 | 83 | 71 | 30 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | glassy | cross | cross-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 | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 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 | — | — | — | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 19 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
87 | 75 | 102 | 123 | 126 | 95 | 78 | 245 | 317 | 228 | 153 | 111 | 263 | 197 | 203 | 231 | 158 | 83 | 71 | 30 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 11 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 8 | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 4 |
23 | 46 | 28 | 27 | 14 | 10 | — | 54 | 35 | 35 | 45 | 62 | 25 | 24 | 28 | 92 | 30 | 52 | 38 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 9 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | — | S 15 | S 15 | SSE 15 | S 13 | ENE 8 | S 13 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 9 | S 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 8 |
— | 8 | 5 | 20 | 21 | 5 | — | 5 | 17 | 42 | 32 | 38 | 30 | 22 | 18 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | NE 6 | — | NW 3 | NW 2 | SW 2 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 2 | NE 4 |
44 | 119 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 232 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 349 | 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.











