Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, SSE swell with 355 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period with ENE 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 1.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks. Rusty here. We’ve got a 16-day look at the surf situation, and honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch. The only spot on the menu is The Spit, a river mouth break that’s exposed to the east. The short version is, there’s very little to get excited about, and the window for anything rideable is pretty narrow.
For the next week and a half, from Wednesday the 26th of August through to Tuesday the 10th of September, the conditions are mostly poor. The swell is tiny, barely cracking 3ft, and the wind is almost always a problem—cross-shore, cross-onshore, or just straight onshore. The wave energy is weak, mostly in the double digits, with a few moderate spikes like 150 (combined energy) on Sunday morning the 30th of August, but even that comes with a fresh cross-shore wind and lumpy chop.
The only real highlights come on a few mornings where the wind shifts offshore. The Spit is a river break, so it’s already a tricky, beginner-friendly wave, but at least it’s clean when the wind is right. The best of the best? I’d say Wednesday morning the 2nd of September. You’ve got a light NNW wind blowing offshore, making it glassy and clean. The swell is tiny at 2ft from the east, with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 103 (moderate). It’s not big, not powerful, but it’s the cleanest you’ll see. The water temp is about 69° here, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no worries there.
Another decent call is the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September. Similar setup: light NNW offshore wind, clean conditions, with a 2ft east swell, 10-second period, and combined energy of 143 (moderate). The consistency is rated as consistent, so you’ll get waves, but don’t expect any barrels. Crowds are listed as "often," so expect a few other surfers out there, but with conditions this small, it shouldn’t be a circus.
The morning of Saturday the 5th of September is worth a mention too. A moderate WNW offshore wind, 2ft east swell, 10-second period, and 60 combined energy. It’s clean, but honestly, it’s pretty marginal.
After the 5th, it really drops off. The rest of the run into the 10th of September is mostly poor, with onshore winds and tiny, weak swell. The combined energy falls into the 30s and 40s. There’s nothing to recommend.
So, the standout is Wednesday morning the 2nd of September. If you’re desperate for a surf, that’s your window. The rest of the time, it’s a flat spell with messy wind. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through most of this period, with the cross-onshore winds and small, choppy swell. For now, it’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SE 6 | SSE 8 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
91 | 94 | 91 | 64 | 85 | 163 | 70 | 52 | 65 | 68 | 52 | 51 | 83 | 75 | 355 | 39 | 51 | 92 | 83 | 71 | 70 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:17PM1.54m | 7:40AM1.11m | 7:50PM1.57m | 8:13AM1.20m | 8:23PM1.58m | 8:46AM1.27m | 8:56PM1.56m | 9:20AM1.33m | 9:31PM1.51m | 9:58AM1.38m | 10:07PM1.42m | 10:39AM1.40m | 10:47PM1.30m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:39PM0.26m | 1:48AM0.20m | 1:18PM0.21m | 2:16AM0.15m | 1:55PM0.18m | 2:45AM0.13m | 2:33PM0.17m | 3:15AM0.13m | 3:13PM0.19m | 3:45AM0.14m | 3:56PM0.23m | 4:19AM0.17m | 4:44PM0.31m | ||||||||
6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | E 8 | E 5 | E 5 | E 10 | E 10 |
91 | 94 | 91 | 64 | 85 | 113 | 70 | 52 | 65 | 68 | 52 | 51 | 37 | 42 | 26 | 22 | 51 | 19 | 20 | 71 | 70 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | E 14 | E 13 | NE 7 | NE 12 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | — | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 6 | E 10 | SSE 11 | E 5 |
2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 44 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 26 | — | 40 | 39 | 8 | 13 | 75 | 11 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | NE 8 | S 16 | E 13 | — | E 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 11 | E 10 | E 15 | N 15 | SE 6 | SSE 9 | E 12 | ENE 11 | SE 11 | SE 15 | SSE 11 |
4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | 3 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 40 | 4 | 8 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 2 | SE 7 | SE 4 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 9 | S 2 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 8 | E 5 | — |
— | — | 1 | 44 | 26 | 163 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 18 | 83 | 75 | 355 | 1 | 23 | 92 | 83 | 20 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 4 | 20 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 4 | 28 | 7 | 17 | 28 | 22 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 17 | 28 | 143 | 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.











