
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 11 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period, ESE swell with 597 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 2.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Spit.
It's a lean start, no two ways about it. We've got a long stretch of pretty average conditions to get through before anything really clicks. The surf is small and the wind just won't play ball for the first week and a half. You’ll be looking at a gap of nearly two weeks until we get a morning that’s really worth getting excited about.
The first glimmer of something decent kicks off on the morning of Tuesday the 12th, but even then it's just small. We're looking at 2ft of east swell with a 9-second period, so nothing with much grunt. The water temp is sitting at 69°F which is pretty normal for this time of year, not too cold, not too warm. The wind is light and offshore from the WNW, so the surface will be clean. But with combined swell energy at just 68, it's weak. It's surfable, sure, but it's not going to set the world on fire.
The rest of that week and the next is a write-off. From Wednesday afternoon the 12th all the way through to Friday the 21st, it's a barrage of cross-shore and cross-onshore winds, with speeds picking up to 18 mph or more. The swell bumps up a bit mid-week the following week, hitting 7ft from the ESE on the morning of the 20th, but with a moderate cross-onshore and a combined energy reading of 1193, which is strong. But with the wind in the wrong quarter, it's going to be a lumpy, choppy mess. That's more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one, to be honest.
Now, the standout. Mark your calendar for the morning of Saturday the 22nd of August. This is the one. The wind swings around to a light WNW, just 3 mph, and it's a cross-offshore breeze. That means the surface at The Spit is going to be clean. We've got a solid 5ft of east swell rolling in with a 10-second period, giving it some decent shape and energy (combined energy of 384). This is the pick of the entire 16-day window. It's not huge, so it’s fine for most, but with the offshore wind, it'll be offering up the best waves we've seen in ages. The morning of Sunday the 23rd is worth a look too, with similar swell, but the wind is a light cross-shore, so it's not quite as clean.
After that, we're back to small and ordinary conditions through to the end of the period. The morning of Tuesday the 26th is glassy, with no wind, and a tiny 3ft east swell, but it’s just not enough to get excited about.
So, if you're a surfer, you've got one real date with destiny here: the morning of the 22nd. The rest of the time, you're better off doing something else.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 7 | ENE 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
56 | 56 | 63 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 42 | 42 | 223 | 32 | 39 | 27 | 28 | 127 | 29 | 41 | 53 | 55 | 116 | 372 | 480 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:30PM1.76m | 7:53AM1.17m | 8:15PM1.78m | 8:37AM1.24m | 8:57PM1.74m | 9:20AM1.28m | 9:37PM1.65m | 10:01AM1.30m | 10:15PM1.52m | 10:43AM1.29m | 10:51PM1.38m | 11:26AM1.27m | 11:27PM1.22m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:42PM0.18m | 2:06AM0.18m | 1:34PM0.13m | 2:47AM0.14m | 2:23PM0.12m | 3:25AM0.12m | 3:09PM0.14m | 4:01AM0.14m | 3:54PM0.20m | 4:37AM0.17m | 4:40PM0.29m | 5:11AM0.21m | 5:28PM0.39m | ||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
Temp °C | 22 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 18 | 20 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 5 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 9 | E 13 | — |
56 | 56 | 63 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 42 | 42 | 53 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 13 | 41 | 53 | 55 | 23 | 3 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | SSE 6 | E 9 | NE 7 | SSE 10 | ENE 9 | E 5 | E 16 | SSE 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 14 | — | — |
11 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 42 | 2 | 9 | 27 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 4 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | — | S 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 9 | NE 7 | S 20 | SE 10 | — | ENE 9 | E 15 | S 10 | SE 9 | NE 10 | — | — |
1 | — | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4 | — | 29 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 2 | — | NNE 2 | W 2 | — | — | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | SSW 2 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SSW 3 | S 3 | S 3 | S 3 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
— | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 223 | 32 | 39 | 1 | 25 | 127 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 116 | 372 | 480 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 28 | 134 | 13 | 68 | 348 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 166 | 28 | 176 | 28 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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.











