Shelley Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.36° S 151.51° E

Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 23 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Shelley Beach sea temperature is
18.5° C
0.3° 

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 23 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 13s period, S swell with 1,285 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s 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 1.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 9s. 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 1.9m 13s 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 0.6m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Fri 24th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 12s
Best Surf10PM (Fri 24th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 13s
Most Powerful 1AM (Sat 25th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 13s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, folks, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Shelley Beach. Let’s get straight into it.

The next couple of weeks are a mixed bag, but there’s a real window of clean, fun surf coming up this weekend before the ocean turns into a total beast. For the first few days, it’s a bit of a struggle, but hang in there.

Starting off Thursday the 23rd afternoon, it’s small. We’re looking at a weak 2ft ENE windswell with a short period. The combined energy is a paltry 76, so don’t expect much. The wind is cross. Honestly, it’s poor. Friday the 24th sees a jump in size, with a 5ft S swell in the morning, but it’s messy with a cross-chop and the energy is moderate (437). The afternoon cleans up slightly with a 5ft S swell and a light onshore wind, but it’s still marginal. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, Saturday the 25th morning is where it gets interesting. The swell is solid at 5ft from the south, with a clean 11-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy hitting 611. The wind is a light cross-offshore out of the WNW. That’s clean. This is the standout for the whole period. Shelley Beach will have some real shape and push. The water temp is 65°, which is about normal for this time of year, so just a standard spring suit will do.

Sunday the 26th morning is still pretty good. The S swell drops a touch to 5ft, but the period is long at 11 seconds and the wind is light cross-off again. The energy is still moderate (463). It’s a solid, clean option, but Saturday morning has the edge on size.

After that, the surf fades fast. The week of the 27th to the 31st of July is mostly a write-off. We get small, weak S swells, a lot of poor conditions, and the odd clean morning with almost no power. The energy drops to 85 or less on some days. There’s a gap of several days here where I wouldn’t bother.

Then, things get wild. Starting Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell absolutely detonates. We’re looking at 10ft to 13ft south swells with massive energy readings in the thousands (3282 to 7631). This is way too big for Shelley Beach, and it’s only for experts – if you’re a beginner, stay well away. The wind is cross or onshore and strong, making it a complete mess. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing given the size and chop.

The whole first week of August is a solid no-go. The swell stays huge, 11ft to 13ft, with combined energy sometimes over 5000. Even the glassy morning on Friday the 7th has a 10ft ESE swell that’s just too big and powerful for this break. The forecast says it’s too big, and I agree.

So, if you’re looking for a wave, your only real window is Saturday morning the 25th of July. That’s the one. The rest of the time, it’s either flat, weak, or a washing machine. Don’t get caught out there when the big stuff hits.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Thu night, calm by Fri afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thu
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
2
4
3
1
2
2
1
2
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
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
ENE
9
1.2
SSW
6
1.5
S
10
1.6
S
9
1.9
S
13
1.6
S
11
1.2
S
10
1.1
S
11
1.4
S
11
1.3
S
10
1.2
S
10
0.9
S
9
0.9
S
9
0.9
S
9
0.7
S
9
0.6
S
8
0.4
SSE
15
0.3
SSE
19
0.3
SSE
19
0.6
S
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
64
100
407
445
1285
599
296
277
457
347
290
142
142
136
76
51
76
69
73
77
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
25
SW
15
SW
10
SE
10
WNW
10
WNW
10
NE
15
W
10
W
5
SSE
10
W
5
W
10
ESE
10
WNW
10
NNW
20
NNW
15
WNW
15
SW
25
SSE
20
S
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
off
off
cross-off
off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
4:07AM0.89m
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
Low Tide
10:38PM0.50m
9:37AM0.49m
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
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:50
6:50
6:50
6:48
6:48
6:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:07
5:08
5:09
5:09
5:10
5:12
5:12
 mm
4
Temp °C
19
12
13
13
12
17
18
14
17
17
13
15
15
15
19
20
16
16
15
14
Feels °C
14
5
9
9
9
15
15
10
14
14
9
12
13
13
15
15
12
12
10
10
  • 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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