Shelley Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.36° S 151.51° E

Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 27 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Shelley Beach sea temperature is
17.7°C
0.5° 

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 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, SSE swell with 704 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s 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 28) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Shelley Beach in the next 16 days are 1.7m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Fri 28th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 12s
Best Surf 4AM (Fri 28th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 12s
Most Powerful 7AM (Fri 28th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s talk about Shelley Beach. The outlook for the next two and a half weeks is a bit of a mixed bag. We start off with a real nice little window this Friday, but then it gets quiet for a long stretch, before a big pulse of swell arrives on the Monday of the second week. Hold on to your leggies.

First up, Friday the 28th of August. There’s a standout morning session on the cards. We’re looking at a clean 6ft southeasterly swell with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a nice bit of groundswell energy (combined energy of 746). The wind is completely glassy, dead calm out of the SSW. This is going to be clean, lined-up surf at Shelley Beach. This is the best bet of the whole outlook.

The afternoon on Friday turns ugly. The wind swings onshore from the SSE at 12 mph, and the quality drops right out on that same fading 5ft swell.

Saturday the 29th is not worth your time. Onshore and cross-shore winds mess up a 5ft SSE swell.

Sunday the 30th, the surf dips, but there's a glimmer. A 3ft southerly swell (9-second period) meeting glassy west winds in the morning. Clean, but tiny. The wave energy is weak (271).

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September stay small—around 3ft to 3ft—with clean conditions thanks to glassy and cross-offshore winds. You could get some fun little waves but nothing that will get the heart racing.

Then from Tuesday afternoon right through to Sunday the 6th of September, it’s a drought. The swell drops below 2ft for days on end, with a mix of weak northeasterly wind swells. The combined energy dips as low as 30. Honestly, it’s looking pretty flat for nearly a week.

Now, here’s the wild card. Mark your calendar for Monday the 7th of September. A massive 10ft southerly swell (11-second period) is predicted for the morning. That’s a huge energy reading of 3100. The wind is a moderate cross-shore from the SW. But here’s the kicker: this break can’t handle that much size. The forecast itself says the swell is predicted to be too big for this spot. This one is strictly for the experts only, if anyone is mad enough to try. It is a big, raw, dangerous ocean.

After that big pulse passes, Tuesday the 8th of September morning offers a beautiful reset. Glassy conditions on a 4ft south swell. Clean lines, perfect for a longboard or a midsize. A solid morning surf.

The rest of that second week (September 9th through 12th) fades away again into small, weak, and mostly onshore junk under 3ft. The run ends with a tiny 2ft easterly windswell on Saturday the 12th.

So, to wrap it up: the absolute pick is Friday morning the 28th of August for glassy 6ft SSE groundswell. The second-best call is the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September for that clean 4ft south swell. The big 10ft pulse on Monday the 7th is too much for this beach—leave that one alone.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
0
0
1
1
2
2
0
1
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
S
9
1.7
SSE
11
1.5
SSE
10
1.3
SSE
9
1.4
SSE
9
1.7
SSE
9
1
SSE
10
0.9
S
9
1.2
S
9
1.4
S
9
1.1
S
8
1
S
9
0.9
S
9
0.9
S
11
0.9
S
11
0.8
S
11
0.6
S
10
0.5
S
10
0.4
SSE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
263
655
442
293
336
474
192
129
230
332
157
165
139
191
191
143
73
49
31
Wind (km/h)
5
WNW
0
S
20
SSE
10
S
10
SSW
10
SE
5
WSW
0
W
15
SE
10
SW
0
NW
15
NE
10
NNW
10
NNE
20
N
15
NW
20
NW
15
NW
10
WNW
Wind State
off
glassy
on
cross-on
cross
on
cross-off
glassy
on
cross
glassy
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
High Tide
8:15AM1.25m
8:15PM1.57m
8:49AM1.32m
8:50PM1.54m
9:24AM1.38m
9:27PM1.47m
10:01AM1.42m
10:07PM1.38m
10:41AM1.45m
10:52PM1.27m
11:26AM1.45m
11:44PM1.14m
Low Tide
2:14AM0.13m
1:59PM0.28m
2:44AM0.10m
2:39PM0.26m
3:14AM0.10m
3:21PM0.25m
3:46AM0.12m
4:05PM0.26m
4:20AM0.17m
4:55PM0.29m
4:58AM0.24m
5:52PM0.33m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:18
6:16
6:15
6:13
6:13
6:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:32
5:32
5:34
5:35
5:35
5:36
 mm
Temp °C
15
15
15
15
15
15
14
16
16
15
15
16
15
23
25
20
26
27
21
Feels °C
14
13
11
14
13
13
14
14
14
13
15
14
13
19
20
17
23
23
18
  • 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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