Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, ESE swell with 488 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period with E 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 1.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here again, giving you the same story in feet and miles per hour.
It’s a pretty grim outlook for the next couple of weeks. The only spot we’ve got is The Spit, and even that’s barely a whisper. The pattern is frustrating: a long run of small, weak, and messy surf with cross-onshore winds ruining most of the quality. There’s a solid gap from the start of the forecast all the way to the morning of Friday, August 21st, before we see anything even worth paddling for.
The first real flicker of hope comes on Friday morning, August 21st. The Spit is showing a tiny 3ft swell from the east with a short period of 7 seconds—nothing to get excited about, but the wind goes glassy, which is a rare treat. The combined swell energy is a weak 173, so don’t expect any power. The water temp is around 68°, which is about normal for this time of year. It’s surfable, but only just. The crowd factor is “often,” so you might have some company for these small, ordinary waves.
Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd offer similar stories: tiny 2ft to 3ft swells from the east-northeast. The standout is Sunday morning, August 23rd, with another glassy morning session. The swell is a weak 3ft and the period is 8 seconds, with combined energy of just 83. It’s clean, but the waves are weak and small. The Spit (Gold Coast) is a river mouth, so it can handle these small, long-period swells okay, but there’s just no oomph behind them.
Monday the 24th of August morning has a clean, cross-off wind with a tiny 2ft swell, but it’s pretty much the same story. The second week is a write-off for quality surf. From the 25th of August onward, the swell stays under 3ft, and the winds turn mostly cross-onshore or fresh, making it lumpy and choppy. The combined energy stays low, mostly in the two-digit range, with a few brief blips into the low 100s. The strongest energy comes on the 30th and 31st of August, with a 14-second period swell from the southeast, but the wind is onshore, so it’s just messy.
If you’re a beginner, the small waves on the 21st, 23rd, and 24th of August mornings are your best bet for a paddle, but it’s not exactly inspiring. For everyone else, it’s a waiting game. The best of a bad bunch is the glassy Friday morning on the 21st of August—just don’t expect a barrel. The Spit is a consistent spot, so it won’t stay poor forever, but for now, the ocean is taking a long nap.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
288 | 488 | 151 | 171 | 164 | 159 | 187 | 124 | 96 | 77 | 62 | 49 | 51 | 81 | 81 | 75 | 74 | 52 | 65 | 95 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:04AM1.08m | 1:04PM1.20m | 00:45AM0.95m | 2:07PM1.18m | 1:41AM0.84m | 3:23PM1.20m | 3:04AM0.79m | 4:32PM1.25m | 4:42AM0.80m | 5:25PM1.33m | 5:45AM0.86m | 6:07PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:21PM0.49m | 6:24AM0.32m | 7:28PM0.58m | 7:08AM0.37m | 8:57PM0.61m | 8:04AM0.41m | 10:29PM0.58m | 9:09AM0.42m | 11:31PM0.50m | 10:15AM0.40m | 00:13AM0.42m | 11:10AM0.36m | 00:48AM0.33m | |||||||
— | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ESE 10 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
4 | 135 | 135 | 80 | 164 | 159 | 187 | 124 | 96 | 77 | 62 | 49 | 51 | 81 | 81 | 75 | 74 | 52 | 65 | 95 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 10 | ESE 11 | S 8 | ENE 7 | NE 9 | — | ENE 7 | ESE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ENE 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | E 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 11 |
— | 58 | 151 | 6 | 45 | 3 | — | 66 | 43 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 12 | — | — | S 9 | — | — | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | — | E 14 | E 12 | SSE 8 | E 9 | — | S 10 | NE 10 | S 5 | E 11 | S 8 |
— | 50 | — | — | 6 | — | — | 9 | 34 | — | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | N 4 |
288 | 488 | — | 171 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 15 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 17 | 17 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 0 |
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.











