Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, E swell with 187 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s 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 1.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 4PM. 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the menu for The Spit over the next couple of weeks.
The Spit is a river mouth, exposed to easterly swells, and it's a consistent spot for beginners. Right now, we're looking at a pretty quiet start. The good news is that the water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first few days are a bit of a write-off, to be honest. We've got a weak, short-period easterly swell on Friday the 21st, with a tiny 3-foot wave and a combined energy of only 163 (weak). The winds are light, but it's a cross-shore setup, and the forecast says "poor surf conditions." Saturday the 22nd sees a drop in energy to 58 (weak), and while the wind goes light and cross-offshore, keeping it clean, the swell is only 2 feet and very ordinary. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are similar – small, weak, and with poor conditions.
There's a bit of a gap here with no real standout surf. The first real glimmer comes on Tuesday the 25th. The morning session looks glassy with a 3-foot easterly swell, but the energy is still only moderate (124). The forecast says "surfable but very ordinary." Wednesday the 26th afternoon brings a clean, offshore wind from the west at 12 mph, with a 3-foot ENE swell, but the energy is still moderate (133). It's rideable, but nothing to call home about.
Now, if you're looking for the best of the bunch, you have to circle Thursday the 27th morning. The wind goes glassy, the swell ticks up to 4 feet from the east, and the combined energy hits a moderate 214. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions." This is the standout window. The Spit will be clean and fun for a beginner-friendly wave. The afternoon gets chopped up by a cross-onshore wind, so make it a dawn patrol.
After that, it's back to a mix of cross-shore winds and poor conditions through the end of August. The morning of Sunday the 30th looks interesting, with a 5-foot ENE swell and a clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong at 383, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it'll be a bit fat and less powerful. The afternoon stays clean but the swell drops back.
A little further out into the first week of September, the pattern stays similar. The morning of Tuesday the 2nd has a 3-foot easterly swell with a 9-second period and moderate energy (170), but the wind is a light cross-shore, and conditions are poor. Thursday the 3rd has a bigger pulse of 4 feet from the east with a very long 11-second period, giving a strong energy reading of 477. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy. The weekend of the 5th and 6th looks to settle back to small, clean, but ordinary conditions.
So, to sum it up: The surfing is mostly small and ordinary for the next two weeks. The one standout is Thursday the 27th morning. Get on it while the wind is glassy and the swell is a clean 4 feet from the east. Otherwise, it's a waiting game, but The Spit is a consistent spot, so it won't stay flat forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
130 | 82 | 61 | 45 | 49 | 51 | 76 | 62 | 58 | 55 | 58 | 79 | 127 | 118 | 140 | 137 | 127 | 123 | 131 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 1:41AM0.84m | 3:23PM1.20m | 3:04AM0.79m | 4:32PM1.25m | 4:42AM0.80m | 5:25PM1.33m | 5:45AM0.86m | 6:07PM1.41m | 6:29AM0.94m | 6:43PM1.48m | 7:06AM1.03m | 7:17PM1.54m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:04AM0.41m | 10:29PM0.58m | 9:09AM0.42m | 11:31PM0.50m | 10:15AM0.40m | 00:13AM0.42m | 11:10AM0.36m | 00:48AM0.33m | 11:57AM0.31m | 1:19AM0.26m | 12:39PM0.26m | 1:48AM0.20m | |||||||
— | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
130 | 82 | 61 | 45 | 49 | 51 | 76 | 62 | 58 | 55 | 58 | 79 | 127 | 118 | 140 | 137 | 127 | 123 | 131 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | NE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | S 7 | SE 8 | SE 11 | NE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 10 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 |
59 | 47 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 14 | E 11 | E 10 | SE 7 | SE 7 | NE 10 | E 12 | SE 14 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 5 | — | E 16 | S 9 | S 9 | — |
9 | 34 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | 5 | 14 | 6 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 2 |
— | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 4 | 176 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 28 | 4 | 22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 654 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.











