Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period, E swell with 90 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. 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 0.7m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) 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 0.9m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Spit, a river mouth setup that's a known beginner-friendly zone. The water temp's sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.
First thing you need to know: the next week and a half is going to be a write-off. We're looking at a solid 9-day stretch from Monday the 31st of August right through to Tuesday the 8th of September where the surf's just not happening. Tiny, weak swell with rubbish direction and either cross or onshore winds – the kind of days you'd rather be doing anything else. The combined wave energy barely gets above triple digits, mostly sitting pretty weak (under 100). It's a flat spell, plain and simple.
Then things start to shift. On Wednesday the 9th of September, we finally see a pulse. The swell picks up to around 5ft out of the SSE, with a moderate 9-second period. The combined energy jumps to 337 (moderate), but the wind is light and onshore, leaving the conditions a bit messy. Thursday morning the 10th is a big one, with a 8ft SE swell and a 10-second period, but howling onshore winds from the ESE at 16 mph ruin it for paddle surfing – that's more of a kite-surfing day. The energy is really strong (1370), but it's just too big and blown out for The Spit.
There's a glimmer on Saturday the 12th of September. The afternoon session sees a 7ft swell from the ESE, a 9-second period, and the wind switches to a clean onshore from the E at 9 mph. The combined energy is 640 (strong). The forecast notes say the conditions are wind and tide favorable, but the swell's predicted to be too big for this break. That's a lot of water for a beginner spot, so only for the experienced crew.
After that, we start to see it drop off again. The 13th of September has a smaller 5ft ESE swell with a 10-second period, but the wind is still cross-onshore, so it's marginal. From the 14th onward, it's back to small, weak, and onshore conditions.
So, to be honest, there's no standout, epic day here. The only time it gets interesting is the afternoon of the 12th, but it's a solid 7ft fanging in, and it's a bit of a beast for The Spit. If you're a beginner, you're better off waiting for the next run. For the rest, that Saturday might offer a few unruly, powerful waves, but don't expect clean perfection.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 20°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the N by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 5 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 42 | 27 | 51 | 50 | 90 | 48 | 47 | 42 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 43 | 77 | 62 | 34 | 47 | |
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-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:07PM1.42m | 10:39AM1.40m | 10:47PM1.30m | 11:27AM1.41m | 11:32PM1.17m | 12:24PM1.40m | 00:28AM1.03m | 1:33PM1.39m | 1:43AM0.92m | 2:57PM1.41m | 3:25AM0.88m | 4:23PM1.48m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 3:56PM0.23m | 4:19AM0.17m | 4:44PM0.31m | 4:56AM0.22m | 5:42PM0.40m | 5:40AM0.28m | 6:54PM0.49m | 6:36AM0.34m | 8:29PM0.53m | 7:48AM0.39m | 10:10PM0.48m | 9:14AM0.39m | 11:24PM0.38m | ||||||||
6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | |
— | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 26 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | E 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 5 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | E 9 | NE 5 | NE 6 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | E 10 | E 10 |
17 | 22 | 27 | 17 | 50 | 90 | 48 | 47 | 42 | 27 | 27 | 21 | 16 | 27 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SE 17 | E 8 | E 10 | E 5 | SE 11 | ENE 5 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | NE 5 | SE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 10 | NE 9 |
23 | 12 | 12 | 51 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 27 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 2 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | E 12 | E 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | NE 12 | SSE 11 | NE 11 | NE 7 | SE 11 | NE 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 11 | SE 15 | SE 11 | S 10 | NE 9 | S 11 |
8 | 3 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | NW 2 | NNE 4 | — | — | NE 6 | NNE 5 | — | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 |
— | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 11 | 1 | 26 | — | — | 20 | 26 | — | 43 | 77 | 62 | 34 | 47 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 28 | 7 | 28 | 81 | 0 | 18 | 43 | 66 | 66 | 130 | 0 | 0 | 288 | 0 | 106 | 248 | 0 | 13 | 1388 | 105 |
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.











