
Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 14s period, S swell with 1,527 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 2.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 1AM. 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 (Jul 26) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, checkin' in from the beach. Alright, let's have a look at what Shelley Beach has cookin' for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we've got a bit of a slow start. The first couple of days are a write-off, honestly. Friday the 24th is flat and messy, with a cross-shore breeze and poor conditions. The real action starts to build on Saturday the 25th. We see a 5ft south swell rolling in with a 11-second period, and the wind goes light and cross-offshore in the morning, then glassy in the afternoon. That's a solid combo. The wave energy is strong at 622. The water temp is sittin' around 65°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
The standout window is definitely Saturday morning and Sunday morning. Saturday morning, we've got that 5ft south swell (11 secs) with light cross-offshore winds. It's gonna be clean, with good shape. Sunday morning the 26th looks very similar – another 5ft south swell, 11-second period, and light cross-offshore breezes. The wave energy is still strong at 602. This is the best surf on offer in the first week. Shelley Beach is a consistent, exposed beach break, so it'll handle that south swell nicely. Just a heads up, it can get crowded sometimes, so get out there early.
We then hit a bit of a lull from Monday the 27th afternoon all the way through the first few days of August. The swell drops right off into the knee-to-waist high range, with weak energy readings (down in the double digits), and the wind gets messy with onshore and cross-onshore slop. There's a lot of rain showers forecast in there too, so it's gonna be a quiet, flat spell for a while.
Now, hold onto your boardies, because the forecast for Sunday the 2nd of August is a big one. A massive 13ft south swell is predicted to show up in the morning, with a 12-second period and glassy conditions. The combined energy is a whopping 4248. That is a huge, powerful, very long-period groundswell. But here's the thing – at 13ft, this is strictly for experts only. It's too big for anyone else. Even with glassy conditions, a beach break like Shelley Beach with that kind of size and a long period will be jacking up, closing out, and just plain dangerous. The setup is a bit more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on that Sunday afternoon, as the wind swings onshore and chops it up.
After that big pulse, it settles back down. Tuesday the 4th through to the end of the forecast period sees a mix of solid but messy swell, with a lot of onshore wind. The morning of Friday the 8th of August offers a decent little window again, with a 4ft easterly swell and glassy conditions – worth a look for a clean session. Overall, the absolute best bet is that Saturday and Sunday at the end of July.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 7°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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 | S 10 | S 14 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 15 | S 16 | S 4 | S 8 | SSE 7 | S 6 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
444 | 464 | 1527 | 610 | 347 | 329 | 599 | 394 | 284 | 211 | 175 | 103 | 55 | 37 | 18 | 21 | 13 | 295 | 114 | 54 | 102 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:36PM1.36m | 5:13AM0.89m | 5:26PM1.40m | 6:08AM0.93m | 6:12PM1.46m | 6:53AM0.97m | 6:53PM1.52m | 7:33AM1.02m | 7:32PM1.57m | 8:10AM1.07m | 8:08PM1.60m | 8:46AM1.11m | 8:43PM1.60m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:38PM0.44m | 10:34AM0.49m | 00:26AM0.38m | 11:27AM0.47m | 1:07AM0.32m | 12:14PM0.43m | 1:44AM0.26m | 12:57PM0.39m | 2:19AM0.21m | 1:38PM0.36m | 2:52AM0.17m | 2:16PM0.34m | 3:24AM0.14m | ||||||||
6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | |
— | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 10 | S 14 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 18 | S 8 | SSE 7 | S 6 | S 8 |
444 | 464 | 1527 | 610 | 347 | 329 | 599 | 394 | 284 | 211 | 175 | 103 | 55 | 37 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 295 | 114 | 54 | 61 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 8 | SE 14 | SE 16 | — | SE 15 | S 15 | S 16 | SE 13 | S 17 | SSE 16 | S 9 | S 12 |
28 | 24 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 10 | — | 8 | 18 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 48 | 41 | 102 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | E 7 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | — | SE 18 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 15 | SE 7 | SE 14 | SE 14 | S 9 | E 8 | S 11 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 |
2 | 1 | — | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 13 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 3 | — | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | NNE 3 | W 3 | W 3 | S 4 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 5 | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 95 | 205 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 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.










