Shelley Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.36° S 151.51° E

Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 08 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Shelley Beach sea temperature is
18.8°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 7 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with 2,548 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. 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 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Tue 8th Sep)6ft (1.8m) 9s
Best Surf 4AM (Thu 10th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 10s
Most Powerful 1AM (Thu 10th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, I’m Rusty. The next couple of weeks at Shelley Beach are a mixed bag—there’s some solid swell on the way, but the wind is going to be a real pain most of the time. The real standout will be a short, clean window early next week, but even then, it’s not going to be epic. Let’s break it down.

We’re starting off with a bit of a dud for the first few days. Tuesday the 8th sees a 8ft SSE swell with a 9-second period, but the wind is a cross-onshore from the south at 16 mph, making for poor, choppy conditions. The water temp is about average for the time of year at 66°. The afternoon stays messy with a 7ft SSE swell and onshore wind. Wednesday the 9th is a write-off—strong cross-onshore winds up to 25 mph are going to tear up a 8ft south swell, so forget it. Thursday the 10th has some size (8ft S swell, 9-second period) but the wind is still cross-shore and the combined energy is strong (1398), but conditions are marginal at best.

Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th morning finally show a glimmer of hope. Saturday morning the 12th is the pick of the first week: a 5ft SSE swell, 9-second period, with glassy, offshore conditions from the northeast at just 3 mph. The combined energy is moderate (398), and the waves should be clean and rideable. The south-east swell direction is coming from the optimum direction for Shelley Beach, which is a bonus. Expect crowds though, as it’s a consistent spot that can get busy. The water temp anomaly is only 0.9°F above normal, so about average for this time of year.

After that, the swell drops off fast. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are small and messy, with Sunday hitting just 3ft under a fresh cross-shore breeze. The long period (12-second) swell on Monday morning the 14th means decent shape, but it’s tiny at 2ft, so only the cleanest offshore conditions from the NNW make it barely surfable.

From Tuesday the 15th through to the end of the second week, it’s mostly small, choppy, and not worth paddling out for. There’s a late rally on Saturday the 20th morning with a 4ft S swell, 8-second period, and glassy conditions—that’s a clean, small window—but it’s short-lived. The combined energy is weak (208). Monday the 23rd morning offers a tiny 2ft S swell with a 11-second period and clean offshore NW wind, but it’s barely surfable.

Honestly, the best bet in the whole 16-day window is Saturday morning, September 12th. It’s not huge, but the glassy conditions with a 5ft SSE swell from the right direction will make for the most enjoyable session. For the rest of it, the wind is just too messy, and the swell is either too small or too blown out to get excited about. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong winds and choppy surf on days like Wednesday the 9th or Thursday the 10th might be more interesting than paddle surfing.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Tue afternoon, strong winds from the S by Wed afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NE by Sun afternoon).

Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
AM
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
2
0
0
0
2
0
!
0
0
1
2
0
2
0
0
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
SSE
9
2
SSE
8
1.7
SSE
9
1
S
8
2.5
S
7
3.5
S
10
2.5
S
9
2.5
S
11
3
S
10
2.2
SSE
10
1.9
SSE
10
1.6
SSE
9
1.4
SSE
9
1.2
SSE
11
0.9
SSE
10
0.8
SSE
9
0.8
S
9
0.7
S
10
0.7
S
12
0.7
S
11
0.6
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1050
536
433
133
753
2548
1263
1544
1768
842
618
406
314
343
157
115
108
94
137
119
82
Wind (km/h)
25
S
15
SSE
10
WNW
15
SSW
40
S
35
S
20
SW
30
S
15
SW
15
S
15
SSE
5
SW
5
ENE
20
NE
10
NW
10
NE
30
NE
5
WNW
5
NNW
25
NE
10
W
Wind State
cross-on
on
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
on
cross
glassy
cross
off
cross
cross
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
5:57PM1.63m
6:45AM1.22m
6:46PM1.66m
7:28AM1.31m
7:31PM1.65m
8:07AM1.40m
8:14PM1.59m
8:44AM1.46m
8:54PM1.50m
9:21AM1.49m
9:34PM1.38m
9:57AM1.49m
10:13PM1.25m
Low Tide
11:28AM0.35m
00:41AM0.08m
12:24PM0.28m
1:23AM0.04m
1:14PM0.21m
2:00AM0.03m
2:01PM0.17m
2:35AM0.06m
2:47PM0.17m
3:07AM0.11m
3:31PM0.19m
3:39AM0.19m
4:15PM0.24m
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
part cloud
light rain
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:03
6:01
6:01
5:58
5:58
5:56
5:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:39
5:40
5:40
5:42
5:43
5:43
5:44
 mm
2
3
Temp °C
16
16
14
15
15
15
13
15
15
16
16
15
15
16
15
19
18
18
24
22
23
Feels °C
10
13
12
11
6
6
6
8
11
13
14
15
15
13
12
13
12
15
19
17
20
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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