
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SE swell with 2,232 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period with ESE 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 (Jul 11) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 10s. 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 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking in the local waters.
Straight up, this 16-day window is a tough nut to crack, with a long quiet spell before anything worthwhile shows up. The Spit, the only spot on the cards, is a river mouth setup that's exposed to the elements and can handle a little swell, but mostly, we're looking at some pretty ordinary conditions for a while.
We start off with a tiny window of hope on Saturday morning, July 11. The Spit is showing a clean 3 ft swell from the southeast, and the wind is glassy, dead calm. The water's sitting at 70°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird there. The combined energy is weak (202), but it's the best we've got. You'll find some small, clean lines, but it's a beginner-friendly spot with consistent waves, and it's exposed from the east, so that SE swell (optimum) should wrap in okay. This is the standout of the forecast, but only for the absolute die-hards.
Then the plug gets pulled. From Saturday afternoon all the way through to Tuesday, July 22, it’s a nearly two-week stretch of poor to non-existent surf. We're talking tiny swell (0.7 ft to 3 ft) and mostly messy onshore winds. There's a pulse of bigger swell around July 16-18 with 6 ft to 8 ft, but it's accompanied by strong cross-onshore winds and rain, making it a complete mess. The energy ramps up (693 to 1231) but with those winds, it's just a washing machine. Not worth paddling out. For the more adventurous, with those strong winds and a beach setup, this might actually look more interesting for kite surfing.
The next real flicker of hope doesn't pop up until Thursday morning, July 23. We've got a 7 ft swell from the south-southeast, but the wind is glassy again. The problem is, the file notes the swell is predicted to be too big for this break, likely washing over the banks or closing out. The energy is strong (983), so it's a powerful swell, but not for the average punter. If you’re an expert and the tide lines up, it could be a wild one. The afternoon cleanup sees a small, clean 3 ft from the east-southeast.
After that, it fizzles out into tiny, messy surf for the rest of the window. The long-range promise we had for the 23rd is the last real standout, and even it comes with a size caveat. Overall, it's a quiet, drawn-out period. The best call is that Saturday morning session on the 11th, and maybe a watch-and-see for that big, glassy morning on the 23rd if you're experienced. But for the most part, save your energy or pick up a different hobby for a couple of weeks.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Wed afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, strong winds from the SSE by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 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) | SE 10 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 4 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
142 | 325 | 222 | 141 | 102 | 64 | 33 | 32 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 35 | 173 | 2086 | 1871 | 1343 | 1290 | 1131 | 1186 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | off | off | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 5:51PM1.62m | 6:02AM1.08m | 6:49PM1.74m | 7:05AM1.10m | 7:41PM1.82m | 8:01AM1.14m | 8:30PM1.86m | 8:51AM1.17m | 9:16PM1.85m | 9:39AM1.20m | 10:00PM1.78m | 10:26AM1.21m | 10:43PM1.67m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:50AM0.30m | 00:31AM0.43m | 11:49AM0.25m | 1:29AM0.34m | 12:45PM0.21m | 2:21AM0.26m | 1:39PM0.18m | 3:09AM0.22m | 2:30PM0.17m | 3:54AM0.20m | 3:20PM0.20m | 4:38AM0.20m | 4:10PM0.25m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 4 | E 9 | SE 9 | — | — | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | — |
142 | 294 | 222 | 141 | 102 | 64 | 33 | 32 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 173 | — | — | 18 | 9 | 2 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | SE 12 | SSE 9 | — | S 9 | — | — | — | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | E 10 | — | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
60 | 325 | 77 | — | 39 | — | — | — | 10 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 7 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SE 4 | — | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NNW 2 | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 | S 4 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
— | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 35 | 28 | 2086 | 1871 | 1343 | 1290 | 1131 | 1186 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 28 | 17 | 160 | 331 | 395 | 348 | 835 | 619 | 619 | 619 | 671 | 619 | 760 | 166 |
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.










