
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, SSE swell with 793 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period with NNE 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s 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 2.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) 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 0.4m 3s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve scanned the whole 16-day window and I gotta be straight with you—there’s nothing worth paddling out for at The Spit. This is a flat spell, plain and simple. The whole stretch is a write-off, so don’t bother checking the cam. It’s the kind of run that happens now and then; the waves just aren’t showing up. The Spit is a consistent spot, so this blank run is a bit of a surprise, but forecasts can always shift.
The first bit of action we see is Saturday afternoon, 5th September, but it’s a dud. A tiny 1ft easterly swell with a weak 9-second period, and just 25 combined energy units—barely a ripple. The wind is a moderate cross-shore from the north at 12 mph, making a messy cross-chop. The water’s 69°, which is about normal for this time of year. You’d be better off staying on the beach.
Sunday morning, 6th September, gives a glimmer: a 4ft northerly swell, but it’s only 6 seconds short period, so it’s weak and gutless. The energy is moderate at 155. The wind is cross-off from the NNW at 12 mph, so it’s clean, but the swell is too small and messy to do anything with. The wave comment says “poor surf conditions,” and that’s the truth. The afternoon drops to 3ft, still weak.
Monday morning, 7th September, the swell bumps to 5ft from the SSE with 8 seconds, and energy jumps to 389 (moderate). But the wind is a cross-on from the SE at 9 mph, making it choppy and unworkable. For a river break like The Spit, that’s just ugly. The afternoon flattens out again.
From there, it’s a long, grim slog. Tuesday through to Sunday, 20th September, we see a mix of tiny swells, short periods, and onshore or cross-shore winds. The energy stays low, mostly under 100, with a few blips like Wednesday morning, 9th September (141 energy, but still 3ft and cross-on) and Friday morning, 11th September (173 energy, 3ft, cross-shore chop). Nothing lines up. The biggest swell we see is 5ft on Thursday afternoon, 10th September, but it’s a short 6-second period with a fresh cross-shore wind at 22 mph—lumpy, lumpy, lumpy.
The last few days, 18th September to 20th September, are a washout. Energy spikes to 219 on Friday morning, 18th September, but it’s 2ft from the SE with 11 seconds (long period, but tiny) and a cross-on wind. A long period swell like that at a river break? It’ll just break straight and close out. Not worth it.
Honestly, there’s no standout. Don’t even think about the best on offer—there isn’t one. The winds are always working against us, the swell is knee-high at best, and the energy is anemic. Between the 5th and 20th September, there’s a gap of no recommendations for the entire 15 days. If you’re desperate, the cleanest conditions are on Sunday morning, 6th September, with that cross-off wind, but the swell is just too poor. It’s a flat spell, plain and simple. The Spit is a river break, exposed to the east, so we need a solid swell from the east to get going, and it’s just not happening. The optimum swell direction is east, but the wind is always wrong. For kite surfers, maybe—the stronger winds on 10th and 11th September might give you something, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 28°C on Sun morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the SE by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | NNE 6 | N 6 | NNE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 | E 10 | SE 4 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 6 | SSE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
15 | 94 | 105 | 41 | 54 | 338 | 52 | 48 | 16 | 34 | 103 | 125 | 120 | 79 | 60 | 144 | 793 | 114 | 99 | 402 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 8:17AM1.34m | 8:32PM1.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 2:11PM0.11m | 2:48AM0.09m | |||||||
— | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | |
5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 22 | 20 | 28 | 28 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 20 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | E 10 | NNE 6 | ESE 5 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NE 7 | NE 8 | E 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | E 8 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 14 | SE 6 |
15 | 24 | 29 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 52 | 48 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 125 | 120 | 79 | 60 | 12 | 252 | 114 | 48 | 38 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 10 | E 10 | SSE 9 | E 9 | NE 7 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 15 | E 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 |
3 | 18 | 17 | 4 | 16 | 32 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | — | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 9 | SSE 10 | E 7 | N 8 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 15 | — | SE 23 | SE 16 | E 8 | E 8 |
4 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | 21 | 42 | 5 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 3 | NNE 6 | N 6 | NNE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 8 | ESE 4 | — | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 9 | — | — | — | S 2 | SE 6 | SSE 9 | SSW 3 | SE 7 | SSE 10 |
3 | 94 | 105 | 41 | 54 | 338 | 13 | — | 14 | 34 | 103 | — | — | — | 1 | 144 | 793 | 2 | 99 | 402 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 288 | 0 | 66 | 0 | 28 | 22 | 28 | 14 | 28 | 166 | 20 | 22 | 28 | 14 | 68 | 166 | 28 | 28 | 166 | 17 |
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.










