
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, SSE swell with 294 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. 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 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, talkin’ to you from the Spit.
It’s gonna be a bit of a slow burn over the next couple of weeks, with a real good window of clean surf right at the end. The first solid run of waves comes in mid-week, but the real standout is a full two weeks away, so keep your eyes on that.
Wednesday the 22nd kicks things off with a bit of life. The Spit is seeing a 5ft easterly swell, with a period of 9 seconds, giving it some decent shape. The water temp is 69°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, no surprises there. The best part is the glassy conditions, with the wind swinging from SSE in the morning to NNE in the afternoon. It’s a river break, so it’s consistent, but it’s also exposed to the east which is bang on the optimum direction. The combined energy is moderate at 465, so there’s enough push for a fun session. This is a beginner spot, so it’s manageable for most, but the crowd situation is something to be aware of – it gets often crowded here, so you might have to work for your waves.
Thursday the 23rd sees it drop a fraction to 4ft, still clean and glassy in the morning with a light WNW wind. The swell is a bit weaker, with energy down to 266, but it’s still surfable. The afternoon turns onshore though, so the morning is the go.
Then we hit a rough patch. From Friday the 24th right through to the end of the month, conditions get messy. The swell drops way down, the wind is cross or cross-onshore, and the energy levels are weak, often under 100. There’s a few days with tiny 1ft or 0.7ft surf, but the wind and chop ruin it. It’s a poor stretch, and honestly, it’s a bit frustrating.
The first couple of days of August are similarly flat and messy. The 2nd and 3rd have some clean-ish cross-off winds, but the swell is almost non-existent at 0.7ft to 1ft, so it’s not worth paddling for.
Now, here’s the promise. The 5th of August shows a little flicker of life with a 2ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 15 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy jumps to 200, and the wind is clean and cross-off in the morning. It’s still small, but the quality is there. But the real standout is Thursday the 6th of August. The morning is clean with a 2ft SE swell, period 14 seconds, and offshore wind from the west, with energy at 297. That’s a good sign. But the afternoon is where it’s at – the swell jumps to 6ft from the SSE, with a period of 10 seconds, and the energy is a strong 931. The wind is glassy offshore from the WNW. This is the best on offer in the whole outlook. The Spit is a river break, so that long period groundswell will wrap in nicely, and the offshore wind will make it perfect. This is a top-tier session, but remember, it’s still a beginner spot, so 6ft might be a bit much for learners, and it’s likely to be crowded.
So, to sum it up: the first few days are your best bet for a quick, clean session, but the big prize is on the 6th of August. Keep your board waxed and your eyes peeled for that one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
318 | 270 | 220 | 173 | 133 | 105 | 80 | 98 | 294 | 88 | 76 | 41 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 29 | 25 | 12 | 12 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 3:00PM1.20m | 2:28AM0.97m | 4:10PM1.25m | 3:37AM0.90m | 5:09PM1.32m | 4:53AM0.88m | 5:56PM1.40m | 5:56AM0.90m | 6:37PM1.48m | 6:45AM0.94m | 7:14PM1.55m | 7:27AM1.00m | 7:48PM1.60m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:24PM0.63m | 9:00AM0.37m | 10:45PM0.61m | 9:53AM0.37m | 11:48PM0.55m | 10:45AM0.35m | 00:36AM0.48m | 11:33AM0.32m | 1:16AM0.40m | 12:18PM0.29m | 1:51AM0.33m | 12:59PM0.26m | 2:24AM0.27m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 8 | ESE 11 | SE 8 |
318 | 270 | 220 | 173 | 133 | 105 | 80 | 58 | 69 | 88 | 76 | 41 | 28 | 17 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 8 | S 9 | SE 8 | E 12 | E 11 | E 9 | SSE 10 | SE 14 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | E 7 | E 7 | E 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 5 | ENE 5 |
130 | 153 | 179 | 87 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 73 | 40 | 49 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 29 | 25 | 1 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 10 | — | SE 15 | SE 11 | NE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SSE 8 | ESE 11 |
17 | 16 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 33 | — | 58 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | S 5 | SSE 4 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 98 | 294 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 68 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 17 | 28 | 7 | 17 | 28 | 17 |
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.










