Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 617 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 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 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. 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 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are going to test your patience. We’re looking at a real flat spell for The Spit, and I mean proper flat. There’s nothing that’s going to get your heart racing for a while, and that’s just the way it is.
The first few days are a total write-off. Tuesday (18th) and Wednesday (19th) are all cross-onshore slop, with swell around 5ft to 6ft but it’s messy, lumpy, and just not worth your time. The energy is weak to moderate at best. Thursday (20th) isn’t much better, still onshore and average. You’re looking at a solid blank run here, days of nothing.
Now, things start to settle down around Friday morning (21st). We get a bit of a reprieve with the wind going glassy and the swell dropping to a tiny 3ft from the E. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s the definition of “ordinary.” The energy is weak (185), and the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s not going to have any punch. It’s a groveler’s session at best. Friday afternoon is gone again as the cross-on breeze kicks back in.
The weekend isn't much of a story. Saturday (22nd) and Sunday (23rd) offer up some clean conditions thanks to northwesterly winds, but the swell is tiny—around 3ft with weak energy. Sunday morning is glassy and the most promising, but you’re still surfing ankle-biters. The energy is barely registering, around 81. It’s a longboard and a lot of patience kind of morning.
From Monday (24th) through to Friday (28th), it’s a wasteland. The swell drops right off to 1ft, the periods are short, and there’s no consistency. The wind is all over the shop, mostly cross or onshore. There’s just nothing to chase. You’d be better off checking the tide charts for a walk.
Now, the long-range forecast for the end of the month is the only thing that’ll keep you going. So, mark your calendar for the 29th and 30th of August. Saturday the 29th shows a bump in size to 4-4ft, but it’s coming from the ESE with a short period of 5-6 seconds. The energy does pick up though (113-186), and the wind is clean and cross-off. It’s semi-promising, but the short period means it’ll be a bit walled and sectiony.
The real standout – and I’m only calling it that because the bar is so low – is Sunday morning, the 30th of August. We’ve got offshore west winds, a glassy surface, and a clean 4ft of east swell. The energy is moderate (114) and the conditions will be the best we’ve seen in the whole window. It’s still not big, but it will be the cleanest, most playful surf on offer.
After that, it’s back to small and ordinary as we head into September. The first couple of days of the new month bring fresh southerly winds and lumpy conditions, and the swell stays small.
Honestly, with the water temp at 68°F, which is about normal for this time of year, you won’t need a thick suit, but you will need a whole lot of hope. The only thing that’s got any real spark is that Sunday the 30th. It’s a long way off, so don’t book the day off work yet, but it’s the one to keep an eye on. For everything else, keep the board in the car and the expectations low.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
231 | 297 | 512 | 617 | 196 | 120 | 250 | 196 | 150 | 99 | 77 | 63 | 67 | 79 | 87 | 77 | 58 | 57 | 65 | 63 | 66 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:12PM1.23m | 00:04AM1.08m | 1:04PM1.20m | 00:45AM0.95m | 2:07PM1.18m | 1:41AM0.84m | 3:23PM1.20m | 3:04AM0.79m | 4:32PM1.25m | 4:42AM0.80m | 5:25PM1.33m | 5:45AM0.86m | 6:07PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:21PM0.49m | 6:24AM0.32m | 7:28PM0.58m | 7:08AM0.37m | 8:57PM0.61m | 8:04AM0.41m | 10:29PM0.58m | 9:09AM0.42m | 11:31PM0.50m | 10:15AM0.40m | 00:13AM0.42m | 11:10AM0.36m | 00:48AM0.33m | ||||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 15 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
7 | 4 | 139 | 131 | 94 | 120 | 91 | 196 | 150 | 99 | 77 | 63 | 67 | 79 | 87 | 77 | 58 | 57 | 65 | 63 | 66 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | — | SE 9 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | — | NE 7 | ESE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 16 | SE 13 | SE 11 | NNE 4 |
5 | — | 68 | 172 | 196 | 48 | 36 | — | 65 | 43 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 12 | — | S 9 | S 9 | NE 9 | — | E 7 | SSE 8 | — | E 14 | E 11 | E 10 | SE 7 | S 9 | S 9 | NE 10 | SSE 10 | — | NE 6 |
— | — | 50 | — | 6 | 6 | 3 | — | 70 | 43 | — | 4 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 19 | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 11 | — | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | NE 7 | — |
231 | 297 | 512 | 617 | — | — | 250 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 11 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 28 | 17 | 28 | 22 | 12 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 516 | 0 |
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.











