Shelley Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.36° S 151.51° E

Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 07 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Shelley Beach sea temperature is
17.7° C
0.6° 

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 7 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s period, S swell with 1,431 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with SSE 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s 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 2.3m 12s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Fri 7th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 9s
Best Surf 7AM (Fri 14th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 9s
Most Powerful10PM (Thu 13th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

Right then, gather round. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for us.

The next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We’ve got some small windows of clean, surfable waves, but nothing that’s going to have you paddling for your life. The water temp is sitting at 64°F which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

We kick things off on Friday, the 7th of August. The afternoon brings a small 2ft swell from the SSW, but it’s riddled with a raw onshore wind from the SSE at 9 mph. The combined energy is weak (195), and the report says it’s poor. A total write-off, that one.

Saturday the 8th looks a bit better. The morning is glassy, dead calm, with a tiny 2ft SSE swell. The energy is very weak (100), but it’s clean. The report says it’s surfable but very ordinary. You could get a few little grovelers in, but don’t expect much. The afternoon turns choppy with a cross-shore wind.

Sunday the 9th offers a slight improvement. A 3ft swell from the ENE with a light cross-offshore wind from the N at 6 mph. The energy is still moderate (186). The report says it’s surfable but ordinary. The morning is cleaner than the afternoon. It’s a passable option.

Monday the 10th is where we get a bit of a spike. The morning sees a 5ft ENE swell with a strong offshore wind from the NNW at 22 mph. This is a fresh offshore and clean, with moderate energy (410). The report says it’s marginal due to tide, but for a stronger surfer, this early session could be the pick of the first week. The swell direction is ENE, which isn’t the optimum SE for Shelley Beach, but the offshore wind will make it workable. The afternoon drops to 4ft but stays clean.

Then the models go quiet again. Tuesday the 11th through to Thursday the 14th is a run of mostly poor surf, with small, weak swells and cross-shore or onshore winds. The only real highlight is Friday the 14th morning. The morning of the 14th brings a 5ft swell from the S with a light cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph. The energy is moderate (326) and the report says expect good surf conditions. This is the clear standout of the first two weeks. A clean, long period swell (9 seconds) will offer some decent shape.

Everything after that into the second week goes downhill, with onshore winds and choppy conditions. Then, right at the end of the forecast window, we get a big one. On Saturday the 22nd of August, the models are hinting at a massive 10ft to 12ft swell from the S. The wind is clean and offshore in the morning, but the swell is simply too big for this break. The combined energy is strong (1150) in the morning and very strong (2307) in the afternoon. This is a warning for experienced surfers only, and even then, it might be out of control. The report says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is a long-range forecast, so take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

So, the best on offer is the small window of the morning of the 14th. If you’re after a bigger, more challenging wave, the 22nd is the one to watch, but it’s a long way off and could be a monster.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the NW by Sun night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Tue morning, fresh winds from the W by Wed afternoon).

Fri
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
2
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SSE
10
0.5
S
8
0.6
S
8
0.5
S
8
0.7
E
8
0.9
ENE
9
0.9
ENE
9
2.5
NE
8
1.6
ENE
9
1.1
ENE
9
0.8
ENE
9
0.6
ENE
9
0.5
S
11
0.6
S
8
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
0.5
ENE
10
1.7
SSW
8
2.5
S
10
2
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
73
34
45
30
63
149
143
860
407
207
90
61
61
50
52
54
52
376
1308
883
Wind (km/h)
15
SE
10
W
0
NNW
15
ENE
15
N
10
N
10
NNE
25
N
35
NNW
35
NW
25
W
20
W
15
WNW
10
NNW
25
NNW
30
WNW
30
WSW
25
SW
20
S
20
WSW
Wind State
on
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
3:35AM0.98m
4:06PM1.52m
4:56AM1.00m
5:11PM1.61m
6:03AM1.06m
6:09PM1.71m
6:59AM1.13m
7:01PM1.78m
7:49AM1.20m
7:50PM1.80m
8:34AM1.27m
8:36PM1.76m
Low Tide
9:50PM0.38m
9:15AM0.39m
11:05PM0.28m
10:25AM0.38m
00:08AM0.16m
11:31AM0.33m
1:02AM0.07m
12:29PM0.27m
1:49AM-0.00m
1:22PM0.22m
2:33AM-0.03m
2:12PM0.20m
3:13AM-0.02m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:37
6:35
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:17
5:19
5:20
5:21
5:21
5:22
5:22
 mm
2
2
1
1
Temp °C
14
13
13
15
14
18
14
17
16
17
15
20
20
13
17
13
14
14
15
12
Feels °C
10
11
11
11
10
14
12
12
8
9
8
17
16
9
12
6
6
7
9
7
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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