
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, SSE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, SSE swell with 869 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 13s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Spit this week:
The surf forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 2.2m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 1ft (0.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this 16-day stretch for The Spit is a tough one. It looks like we’re in for a long, quiet spell.
Starting off Friday the 4th right through the weekend, there’s barely a ripple. The swell is tiny, around 1.0ft to 2ft from the East, with a weak combined energy (29 to 49). The winds are mostly cross-onshore or even onshore, which keeps the surface messy. For a beginner-friendly river break, that’s just not enough push to get you going. It’s a blank run.
We’ve got a solid gap of quiet days. Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th look pretty poor – small swell, and on Tuesday the 8th, the wind kicks up to 19-22 mph from the SSE, which will just chop the water up. The waves are still around 1.0ft to 4ft, but with a combined energy struggling to hit 155 at its best, it’s really not worth paddling out for.
The only real standout, and I use that term loosely, looks like Sunday the 6th. The morning session shows a clean surface with a light cross-offshore wind from the NW, and the swell nudges up to 2ft from the NNE. The afternoon gets a bit more juice, with 3ft swells and a clean face. The combined energy is still low (41 to 62), but the conditions are the cleanest of the whole run. For a beginner session, this is your best, and honestly only, bet. The water temperature is about 69°, which is normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
After that, it’s a wasteland. The Spit does get a spike in swell on the 16th of September with 5ft from the NNE, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’ll be a lumpy mess. The combined energy hits 180, but it’s not surfable with that wind. The rest of the second week is just small, choppy, and mostly cross-shore wind. There’s a long-period swell coming through on the 18th and 19th of September at 14-15 seconds, but it’s paired with 16-28 mph winds from the SSE which will ruin the surface. For a river mouth, that long period is just going to shift around and not wrap in cleanly.
So, the word is: save your energy. The entire forecast period is a poor surf situation. If you’re desperate, a log on Sunday the 6th might give you a couple of fun ones, but otherwise, you’re better off waiting for the next system.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, fresh winds from the SSE by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the S by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 4 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | N 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | SE 6 | SSE 8 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | E 10 | SE 5 | SSE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 114 | 22 | 137 | 58 | 338 | 54 | 254 | 16 | 41 | 869 | 198 | 166 | 82 | 120 | 511 | 411 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:43AM0.92m | 2:57PM1.41m | 3:25AM0.88m | 4:23PM1.48m | 5:01AM0.94m | 5:31PM1.56m | 6:05AM1.05m | 6:25PM1.63m | 6:54AM1.16m | 7:12PM1.65m | 7:37AM1.27m | 7:53PM1.64m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:29PM0.53m | 7:48AM0.39m | 10:10PM0.48m | 9:14AM0.39m | 11:24PM0.38m | 10:35AM0.34m | 00:17AM0.27m | 11:41AM0.26m | 1:00AM0.19m | 12:37PM0.18m | 1:39AM0.13m | 1:26PM0.13m | 2:14AM0.09m | |||||||
— | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | |
5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 |
Temp °C | 22 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 28 | 31 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 28 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | E 9 | NE 5 | E 9 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | ESE 5 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 15 |
8 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 22 | 42 | 15 | 14 | 54 | 61 | 9 | 9 | 246 | 198 | 166 | 82 | 12 | 14 | 4 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | NE 5 | E 9 | SE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 15 | E 15 | SE 23 |
15 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 33 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 21 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 4 | SSE 11 | SE 4 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 8 | SE 11 | E 7 | NE 7 | SE 14 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 19 | — | E 15 |
4 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | 6 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 7 | — | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 4 | — | — | NNE 5 | N 6 | NW 2 | N 6 | SE 6 | SSE 8 | ESE 4 | SSE 9 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 10 | — | — | — | SSE 10 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
12 | — | — | 11 | 114 | 1 | 137 | 58 | 338 | 15 | 254 | 14 | 41 | 869 | — | — | — | 120 | 511 | 411 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 28 | 68 | 81 | 43 | 0 | 66 | 0 | 47 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 176 | 28 | 14 | 28 | 149 | 0 | 176 | 1076 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Spit Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Spit provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Spit can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Spit 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 (The Spit) 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 The Spit 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.
The Spit is 4 km (2 miles) from the city of Southport. If you plan a holiday in Gold Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Southport. Southport has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










