
Surf Forecasts:
Shelley Beach surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period, SSE swell with 737 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 15s. 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 1.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Shelley Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let’s get into it. Shelley Beach is the only spot on the cards for this 16-day window, and it’s a consistent little wave. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on.
The action kicks off on Sunday the 2nd of August with a solid morning session. The swell is coming in at 5ft from the SSE with a nice 11-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 719 (moderate). Wind is a light cross-off from the north at 3 mph, so expect clean, well-shaped lines. This is the standout – the best you’ll see all week. The afternoon turns ugly though, with a strong NE wind at 16 mph chopping everything up.
Monday the 3rd is still worthwhile. The swell drops to 3ft from the SE, but the wind stays favourable with a light cross-off in the morning and a clean offshore from the NW in the afternoon. Energy is down to 238 (weak), but it’s still surfable. The rest of the week is patchy. Tuesday the 4th is tiny and weak, barely 1ft – a day to stay home.
Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th offer some knee-to-waist high waves, but the swell direction swings around and the quality is poor. Thursday afternoon sees onshore wind, so no good.
Friday the 7th morning has a bigger 6ft swell from the south, but the period is only 9 seconds and the wind is light cross-shore, so it’s a bit lumpy. That’s borderline for intermediates – too big for beginners. The afternoon goes downhill with a cross-onshore wind.
Saturday the 8th is a write-off with onshore wind and messy, choppy surf. Sunday the 9th morning is glassy, but the swell is only 4ft with a short 8-second period – very ordinary.
Then there’s a real gap. From Monday the 10th through to Wednesday the 12th, the wind is offshore or cross-off, and the swell is 4ft to 4ft from the ESE, with a solid 10-11 second period. The energy picks up to 427 (moderate) on Tuesday morning. This is the second-best window of the outlook. Clean, gentle waves, but nothing huge. The spot is exposed, so it picks up what’s on offer. Crowds are possible at Shelley Beach, so don’t be surprised if you’ve got company.
Then things get heavy. Thursday the 13th through Saturday the 15th sees a huge pulse of swell – 7ft to 13ft – but with strong onshore and cross-onshore winds. The energy hits 5497 (very strong) on Friday the 14th morning. This is for experts only, and even then, the wind is just ruining it. Honestly, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th settle back to 4ft-4ft, but the wind is cross-onshore or light cross-shore, so only marginal at best.
The standout is undeniably Sunday the 2nd of August morning – clean, decent swell, good energy. The second pick is the Tuesday the 11th to Wednesday the 12th offshore window, with clean but smaller waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 11 | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
227 | 433 | 518 | 449 | 229 | 187 | 85 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 81 | 143 | 198 | 208 | 304 | 550 | 553 | 463 | 358 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:36AM1.25m | 10:28PM1.45m | 11:16AM1.29m | 11:09PM1.35m | 12:01PM1.32m | 11:57PM1.24m | 12:52PM1.35m | 00:56AM1.12m | 1:51PM1.39m | 2:10AM1.03m | 2:58PM1.44m | 3:35AM0.98m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:26AM0.13m | 4:19PM0.37m | 4:59AM0.16m | 5:08PM0.40m | 5:35AM0.19m | 6:03PM0.43m | 6:16AM0.25m | 7:10PM0.45m | 7:05AM0.31m | 8:28PM0.44m | 8:05AM0.36m | 9:50PM0.38m | |||||||
— | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | S 5 | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 |
227 | 433 | 518 | 449 | 229 | 187 | 85 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 81 | 99 | 198 | 208 | 304 | 550 | 553 | 463 | 358 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 13 | SE 14 | SE 14 | NE 5 | NE 5 | E 15 | E 15 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
209 | 280 | 186 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 31 | 27 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | E 17 | E 17 | S 21 | S 21 | S 20 | SE 14 | S 6 | S 5 | E 7 | E 8 | S 14 | E 18 | NE 8 | E 12 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | SE 12 |
107 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 3 | NNE 5 | NNE 4 | — | WNW 3 | W 3 | W 3 | W 3 | WSW 4 | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 8 |
— | — | 5 | 33 | 12 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 143 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 313 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 232 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 219 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 |
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.











