
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, SSE swell with 481 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m 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 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks. Rusty here. Grab a coffee, because it’s a quiet one for The Spit over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long gap ahead before anything really worth paddling out for shows up.
Let’s start with the water. The temperature is sitting at 69°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the thicker rubber just yet. But the bad news is, the start of the period is a total bust. From Saturday the 8th right through to the end of the week, the conditions are a write-off. The swell is small and weak, with combined energy barely cracking 100 (85 on Saturday morning), and the wind is mostly cross or onshore, messing up what little there is. You’ll see a few sessions with a "surfable" tag, but honestly, at 2ft to 3ft with short period (7-9 seconds), it’s nothing to get excited about.
There is a glimmer on Sunday morning, the 9th. The wind goes glassy and the swell picks up to 3ft from the east, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy climbs to 167 (moderate). It’s still small and a bit ordinary, but for a beginner or someone just wanting to get wet, that’s your best window in the first week. The Spit is a consistent river break, exposed to the east, so that east swell has a shot. It’s just not going to be a standout.
The second week offers a little more size but a lot more wind. On Monday the 17th, the swell gets a bit of a kick, hitting 4ft, but the period drops to a weak 6-7 seconds. The combined energy hits 217, which is moderate, but it’s coming with a strong cross-onshore SSE wind at 15-18 mph. That’s going to be choppy and lumpy. Not for the longboarders, and honestly, with that much wind and a beach/river setup, it looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle session.
The biggest swell of the whole forecast hits on Tuesday the 18th. The morning shows 5ft from the east with an 8-second period and a combined energy of 419 (strong). That’s a solid number. But again, the wind is a cross-shore to cross-onshore SSE breeze at 15 mph, creating a cross-chop. For a confident surfer, there might be a few waves in there, but the conditions will be messy. It’s not a clean, easy day. The Spit is a river mouth, so that short period, wind-affected swell won’t be holding its shape well.
After that, the rest of the month fades back into 2ft to 3ft range with persistent cross-shore winds. The gap between decent surf is pretty much the whole 16 days – there’s no real standout session where everything lines up perfectly. The best you can hope for is a window of clean, small waves on the morning of the 9th (Sunday) or maybe a bigger but messier session on the 18th.
Keep your eyes on the forecasts, though. It’s been flat, but it never stays that way forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 7 | E 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 8 | SSE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
57 | 111 | 194 | 153 | 119 | 94 | 119 | 81 | 74 | 84 | 56 | 59 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 42 | 78 | 481 | 112 | 122 | 29 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:34PM1.48m | 4:50AM0.96m | 5:43PM1.60m | 6:06AM1.02m | 6:41PM1.70m | 7:04AM1.10m | 7:30PM1.76m | 7:53AM1.17m | 8:15PM1.78m | 8:37AM1.24m | 8:57PM1.74m | 9:20AM1.28m | 9:37PM1.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:28PM0.46m | 10:38AM0.31m | 00:31AM0.35m | 11:44AM0.25m | 1:21AM0.26m | 12:42PM0.18m | 2:06AM0.18m | 1:34PM0.13m | 2:47AM0.14m | 2:23PM0.12m | 3:25AM0.12m | 3:09PM0.14m | |||||||||
6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 23 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 7 | E 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 10 | SE 11 | ENE 9 | SE 6 |
57 | 111 | 194 | 153 | 119 | 94 | 119 | 81 | 74 | 84 | 56 | 59 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 42 | 42 | 69 | 112 | 29 | 20 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | SSE 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 13 | E 9 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 6 | N 5 | NNE 7 | SE 4 | ENE 9 | NE 7 | ENE 9 |
15 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 73 | 32 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 29 | 2 | 29 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | E 16 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | — | — | — | S 10 | S 9 | S 11 | S 9 | NE 6 | — | ENE 9 | NE 7 | — | N 7 |
9 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | 28 | 2 | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 3 | — | — | — | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | WNW 3 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | — | S 4 | SE 8 | SSE 10 | — | SE 10 | — |
— | 2 | — | — | — | 44 | 95 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 12 | 78 | 481 | — | 122 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 146 | 130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 17 | 28 | 7 |
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.











