Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, S swell with 269 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s period with S 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 17) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m 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 1.6m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at the next 16 days. It’s a bit of a slow cooker for Shelley Beach, but there are a couple of moments that could be worth paddling out for.
The 16-day window starts with a pretty grim stretch. From Saturday the 15th through to Tuesday the 18th, it’s all onshore wind, lumpy conditions, and weak, short-period swell. The water is sitting at 63°F, which is a bit cooler than usual for this time of year, so you might want a thin spring suit. The energy is weak to moderate, with the combined swell energy reading around 216 (moderate) on Saturday morning, but it’s paired with a cross-shore wind and marginal surf. The whole first week is a bit of a write-off, honestly.
The first real standout comes on Wednesday the 19th, early doors. Shelley Beach should fire up with a light, glassy westerly wind, and a 4 ft swell from the SE, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 230. It’s not a monster, but for a spot that’s been battered by onshore wind, that glassy morning is the best on offer. It’s a proper window of clean, small waves – good for a fun session on a longboard or a fish. The consistency is consistent here, so you won’t be waiting forever.
After that, the rest of the runs are mostly ordinary. There’s a clean, small window on Friday the 21st with a 3 ft swell from the ENE (89 energy), and glassy conditions in the afternoon, but it’s tiny. The swell keeps dropping through the weekend and into the following week, with the combined energy dipping into the double digits (63, 86) and the swell period staying short. Nothing to get excited about.
Then, the second week throws a curveball. Towards the end of the forecast, things get properly big. On Saturday the 29th, the morning shows a 16 ft swell from the S, with a 13-second period and a massive 16076 combined energy. That’s a very strong, long-period groundswell. However, the wind is onshore from the SSE, and the guidance says this break is exposed to the SE swell. That size is way too big for Shelley Beach – it’s only for experts, and even then, the wind is a mess. The spot is rated for intermediate surfers, but this is a proper beast. The Sunday the 30th morning still has a 10 ft swell from the SSE, but again, it’s onshore and too big.
So, to sum it up: the best window is Wednesday the 19th morning. That’s your one true standout. The rest is small, windy, or way too big. If you’ve got a paddleboard or a kite, the big wind and swell on the 29th and 30th might be more interesting for kiting than surfing. The gap between the good Wednesday morning and the next real event is about a week of small, ordinary surf.
Stay patient, and keep an eye on that Wednesday morning.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 12 | SE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
162 | 218 | 161 | 115 | 75 | 93 | 96 | 96 | 73 | 93 | 73 | 117 | 128 | 218 | 111 | 66 | 58 | 38 | 37 | 19 | 13 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | off | cross-off | cross | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 10:01PM1.54m | 10:39AM1.38m | 10:43PM1.39m | 11:21AM1.37m | 11:25PM1.23m | 12:04PM1.35m | 00:11AM1.08m | 12:53PM1.32m | 1:06AM0.96m | 1:49PM1.28m | 2:17AM0.88m | 2:54PM1.27m | 3:41AM0.86m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:50PM0.23m | 4:26AM0.10m | 4:39PM0.29m | 5:00AM0.19m | 5:30PM0.36m | 5:34AM0.29m | 6:26PM0.44m | 6:11AM0.39m | 7:30PM0.50m | 6:54AM0.47m | 8:46PM0.53m | 7:49AM0.53m | 10:05PM0.51m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 19 | SSE 7 | SSE 18 | SSE 7 | S 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 |
162 | 70 | 161 | 61 | 75 | 93 | 96 | 96 | 73 | 93 | 73 | 88 | 128 | 218 | 111 | 66 | 58 | 38 | 37 | 19 | 13 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 18 | S 12 | S 8 | SSE 17 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 10 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | SE 7 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 |
17 | 18 | 60 | 28 | 42 | 30 | 81 | 76 | 32 | 35 | 55 | 117 | 92 | 15 | — | — | — | 23 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 19 | E 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 18 | SSE 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 11 | ESE 14 | S 10 | S 9 | S 15 | — | — | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
37 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 61 | 4 | 62 | 31 | 11 | 10 | 73 | 46 | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 8 | — | SSE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | NNW 3 | NW 2 | NNW 4 | NW 3 |
— | 218 | — | 115 | 75 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 11 | 0 | 41 | 166 | 26 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 0 | 9 | 100 | 145 |
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.











