Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, ESE swell with 489 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. 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 2.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch of coast is looking pretty bleak for a proper surf. We’ve got a long dry spell ahead, and if you’re chasing waves, you’re gonna have to be patient. The next couple of weeks are mostly a write-off, but there’s one morning that might just save the run.
We’re looking at a solid gap from today through the 22nd of August. The swell is there, but it’s all short-period, wind-affected slop. The Spit (Lower Mid North Coast) is going to be a mess of cross-shore and onshore breezes, with wave heights mostly hovering between 3ft and 6ft from the ESE and SE. The energy is weak to moderate, with values like 137 and 320 in the mix, but it’s all chopped-up and lumpy. Nothing rideable, trust me. The water temp is sitting at 68°F, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year – not a huge deal, but worth a thicker suit.
Thursday the 20th, we get a slight improvement—light rain, a bit of a cross-shore wind, and 4ft to 4ft of E swell. Still poor, but there’s a hint of life. Then Friday morning, the 21st, things get interesting. The wind drops off completely, and we get glassy conditions with a 4ft E swell at 8 seconds. The energy is still moderate (196), and it’s not epic, but it's the first clean-looking window we’ve had. The Spit is a river mouth, so it can handle a bit of direction, but this is more of a “if you’re desperate” session.
Then we get another quiet stretch. Saturday the 22nd has some cross-off wind, but the swell drops to 4ft, and the energy weakens. Sunday the 23rd is where the one real standout appears. A pulse of SSE swell jumps to 7ft, and the energy reads a strong 811. The wind is cross-shore at 15 mph, and the comment says it’s too big for this break. For a river mouth, that’s a lot of water, and it’s going to be messy and probably closed out. It could be a spectacle, but only for the very experienced, and even then, it might be too much. The following days, we fade fast—swell drops to under 3ft, energy falls to under 100, and we’re back to onshore junk.
So, there you have it. A long, dry period with one glassy morning on the 21st that’s about as good as it gets, and a bigger but unruly pulse on the 23rd that’s more for looking at than surfing. If you’re a beginner, stay away from the 23rd. For the rest, wait for that Friday glass-off. Forecasts change, and this place is consistent, so it won’t stay flat forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SE 7 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 99 | 98 | 205 | 261 | 276 | 266 | 268 | 276 | 476 | 209 | 166 | 120 | 101 | 138 | 114 | 111 | 110 | 106 | 88 | 88 | 90 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross |
High Tide | 10:43AM1.29m | 10:51PM1.38m | 11:26AM1.27m | 11:27PM1.22m | 12:12PM1.23m | 00:04AM1.08m | 1:04PM1.20m | 00:45AM0.95m | 2:07PM1.18m | 1:41AM0.84m | 3:23PM1.20m | 3:04AM0.79m | 4:32PM1.25m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:40PM0.29m | 5:11AM0.21m | 5:28PM0.39m | 5:47AM0.27m | 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 | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | — | — | 5 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 21 | 18 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | — | E 13 | E 13 | SE 11 | E 14 | E 7 | ESE 11 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | — | E 8 |
| kJ | 29 | 29 | 23 | — | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 135 | 79 | 83 | 60 | 101 | 138 | 114 | 111 | 110 | 106 | 88 | — | 90 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 16 | SE 18 | E 15 | E 14 | S 18 | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | S 8 | ESE 10 | ENE 7 | — | NE 6 | — | — | — | E 12 | NE 9 | S 7 |
| kJ | 5 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | 53 | — | 6 | 120 | 47 | — | 33 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 12 | — | — | S 8 | ESE 11 | — | NE 9 | — | — | E 13 | NE 9 | — | — |
| kJ | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | — | — | 1 | 13 | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | — | E 7 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | 99 | 98 | 205 | 261 | 276 | 266 | 268 | 276 | 476 | 209 | 166 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | 88 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 80 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 143 | 0 | 66 | 43 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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