Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, SE swell with 204 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period with ENE 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 25) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 5s. 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 1.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming up for The Spit. It’s a river mouth setup, beginner-friendly, consistent, and exposed to east swells. Water temp here is sitting at about 68°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises on that front.
Truth be told, this stretch doesn’t look great. The first solid chance of anything worthwhile is on Tuesday 25 August morning. We’re talking about a tiny 3ft swell from the ENE, with a short 8-second period. The energy is weak (90) and the wave comment is only ‘surfable but very ordinary’. The one thing going for it though is the wind: glassy, dead calm. That’s rare. If you want to paddle out into clean, smooth little runners, that’s your window, but don’t expect much push.
After that, the pattern is pretty grim right through to early September. Most sessions get ruined by onshore or cross-shore winds, and the swell stays small. A couple of mornings on Wednesday 26 August and Thursday 3 September show clean-ish conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze, but again the swell is weak and below 3ft, with poor energy. There’s nothing that stands out as a proper wave day.
Later on, Saturday 5 September morning shows a light cross-shore breeze and a 3ft ENE swell, but the energy is barely there (101) and the period is a short 8 seconds. Not worth getting excited about. Sunday 6 September and Monday 7 September taper off even smaller, with the energy dropping below 100.
If you’re after decent surf, this is a lean run. The only real standout is that glassy Tuesday 25 August morning, but even then it’s tiny. For anything better, we’d need a shift in the forecast. For now, it’s mostly a waiting game. Keep an eye on it.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
79 | 114 | 121 | 73 | 85 | 87 | 85 | 107 | 99 | 84 | 91 | 89 | 90 | 113 | 204 | 115 | 122 | 108 | 113 | 122 | 88 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 5:25PM1.33m | 5:45AM0.86m | 6:07PM1.41m | 6:29AM0.94m | 6:43PM1.48m | 7:06AM1.03m | 7:17PM1.54m | 7:40AM1.11m | 7:50PM1.57m | 8:13AM1.20m | 8:23PM1.58m | 8:46AM1.27m | 8:56PM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:15AM0.40m | 00:13AM0.42m | 11:10AM0.36m | 00:48AM0.33m | 11:57AM0.31m | 1:19AM0.26m | 12:39PM0.26m | 1:48AM0.20m | 1:18PM0.21m | 2:16AM0.15m | 1:55PM0.18m | 2:45AM0.13m | 2:33PM0.17m | 3:15AM0.13m | |||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 |
79 | 114 | 79 | 73 | 85 | 87 | 85 | 107 | 99 | 84 | 91 | 89 | 90 | 113 | 149 | 115 | 122 | 108 | 113 | 122 | 88 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | NE 10 | SE 11 | SE 13 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 10 | NE 8 | — | NE 7 | NE 9 | S 10 | S 8 | NNE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | 11 | 39 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 9 | E 12 | S 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 5 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | — | NE 12 | — | S 16 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 14 | NE 7 | NE 10 | NE 10 |
2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | 6 | — | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | E 7 | ENE 7 | S 4 | — | — | — | — | N 4 | — | NNE 7 | — | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 5 | — | — | — |
2 | 104 | 121 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | 56 | — | 23 | 18 | 204 | 107 | 94 | 13 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 28 | 22 | 22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 20 |
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.











