Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 564 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 1.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m 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 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 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 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
G’day, Rusty here. Well, I’ve had a good look at the charts for The Spit, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s a bit of a tough stretch. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but the truth is, the surf is pretty ordinary for most of it. There aren’t any true standouts that’ll have you calling in sick, but there are a few windows where a patient surfer might scratch out a fun one.
Things start quiet. The first few days are a write-off with poor, bumpy conditions and choppy cross-onshore winds. The water temp is sitting at 20°, which is about 0.8° below the long-term average – pretty normal for this time of year, nothing to stress about.
Now, the first real glimmer of hope comes on Friday morning, the 21st of August. We’ve got a tiny, clean 1ft east swell sliding in, and the wind goes glassy. The combined energy is weak (149), so you won’t be getting any power, but it’ll be smooth. It’s a river mouth, so it’s consistent, but with only a 7-second period, it’s going to be a short, weak little wave. Good for a beginner or a longboarder to get a few grovelly ones.
Honestly, that Friday morning is about as good as it gets. The following days are a mix of poor conditions and very ordinary waves, with the swell dropping and the wind messing things up. Monday morning the 24th has another glassy patch with a tiny 2ft swell (69 energy), but again, it’s weak. Tuesday morning the 25th sees a slight bump in energy to 116, with a clean cross-off wind, and a 3ft swell – but it’s still a beach and river setup, and the period is short.
The next real spark isn’t until Sunday, the 30th of August, where a new SE swell tries to push in at 5ft, but it’s coming with a fresh onshore wind at 19 mph and a nasty lumpy cross-chop. That’s a kite surfer’s session, not a paddle surfer’s.
Into the first week of September, the energy picks up a little (up to 473 on the Tuesday afternoon), but the wind stays cross-onshore and choppy. The swell direction is SE, which is well off the optimum east direction for The Spit, and the periods get longer (11-12 seconds), suggesting a longer-period groundswell – but with the wrong wind and direction, it’s just messy.
So, bottom line: if you’re desperate, Friday morning the 21st is your best bet. It’s clean, it’s glassy, but don’t expect much more than a knee-high dribble. Otherwise, the 16-day outlook is a real struggle. At a consistent spot like The Spit, it tends not to stay this flat and choppy for long, so the forecasts might change. But for now, keep the board in the car and your expectations low.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
564 | 286 | 148 | 183 | 187 | 130 | 82 | 61 | 63 | 67 | 71 | 75 | 77 | 77 | 57 | 62 | 81 | 85 | 104 | 83 | 98 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 6:29AM0.94m | 6:43PM1.48m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:57AM0.31m | 1:19AM0.26m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 10 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
135 | 62 | 148 | 183 | 187 | 130 | 82 | 61 | 63 | 67 | 71 | 75 | 77 | 77 | 57 | 62 | 81 | 85 | 104 | 83 | 98 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | — | ENE 7 | ESE 9 | — | SSE 9 | NE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ENE 9 | SE 7 | S 6 | SE 8 | SE 7 | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | — | — |
151 | — | 47 | 32 | — | 9 | 33 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 17 | 2 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 9 | — | — | E 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 14 | E 11 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | S 6 | NE 10 | S 8 | S 9 | N 8 | S 17 | SE 16 | — | — |
— | — | 6 | — | — | 52 | 34 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 10 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 2 | — | NNE 3 | — |
564 | 286 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 7 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 28 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 0 | 94 | 299 | 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.











