
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with 2,908 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. 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 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks at The Spit. It’s a tough start – we’re looking at a big gap of nothing but junk before we get any real waves.
The first few days are a write-off. From Sunday the 19th through to Tuesday the 22nd, it’s all messy, wind-affected slop. Strong south-southeast winds are tearing up a decent 12ft swell from the ESE, with combined energy readings hitting 2443 – that’s a lot of power, but it’s all cross-shore and onshore. The water’s sitting at 70°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary. Not worth paddling out for.
The first real chance pops up on Wednesday morning, the 22nd. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the east, and the wind swings to a light SSW cross-offshore. The energy drops to 323 – still moderate – but the clean conditions mean you’ll find some fun little waves. It’s not a standout, but it’s surfable.
Thursday morning, the 23rd, offers another small window. The swell is only 3ft from the east, period short at 8 seconds, and combined energy is a weak 154. But the wind is glassy – dead calm – so it’ll look pretty. Again, nothing to get too excited about, but if you’re desperate for a paddle, it’s clean.
Then we hit another dry spell. From Friday the 24th through to Tuesday the 29th, the swell is tiny – mostly under 2ft – and the wind is usually onshore or cross-shore. There’s a brief moment on Monday the 27th with a light offshore from the WSW and a 2ft swell from the SE, but it’s too small to really count. The energy is a measly 63. Not worth getting wet for.
Now, here’s the one to mark on your calendar. Wednesday morning, the 29th of July. This is the standout. The swell picks up to 5ft out of the SSE, with a period of 10 seconds, and combined energy ramps up to 731 – moderate but solid. The wind is light offshore from the west, and the forecast is for “very good surf conditions.” The Spit is a river mouth, exposed to the east, and this SSE swell should wrap in nicely. The offshore wind will keep it clean. If you can only surf one day in this forecast, make it this morning. Keep in mind, the crowds here are listed as “often,” so expect some company.
After that, the week of the 30th through to the 3rd of August looks small again. Swells hover around 1ft to 2ft, with weak energy. There’s a glassy moment on Monday morning the 3rd with a 1ft SE groundswell – period up to 16 seconds – but it’s just too small to do much with. The energy is a weak 62. It’s a nice place to sit on your board, but you won’t be riding much.
So, in short: you’ve got to wait until the 22nd for anything surfable, but the real day to aim for is Wednesday the 29th of July for clean, head-high waves at The Spit. The rest is mostly flat or messy. Hang in there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the S by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 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) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SE 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2443 | 2471 | 2908 | 2088 | 1555 | 942 | 1106 | 551 | 367 | 306 | 269 | 181 | 137 | 109 | 97 | 96 | 157 | 66 | 39 | 26 | 27 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:03PM1.19m | 00:07AM1.37m | 12:55PM1.18m | 00:49AM1.21m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:34AM1.08m | 3:00PM1.20m | 2:28AM0.97m | 4:10PM1.25m | 3:37AM0.90m | 5:09PM1.32m | 4:53AM0.88m | 5:56PM1.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:53PM0.42m | 6:42AM0.30m | 6:52PM0.52m | 7:25AM0.34m | 8:01PM0.59m | 8:11AM0.36m | 9:24PM0.63m | 9:00AM0.37m | 10:45PM0.61m | 9:53AM0.37m | 11:48PM0.55m | 10:45AM0.35m | 00:36AM0.48m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | |
mm | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 10 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | 2 | 730 | 551 | 367 | 306 | 269 | 181 | 137 | 109 | 97 | 89 | 4 | 66 | 39 | 26 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 11 | ENE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | — | S 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | NE 10 | NE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | 198 | 32 | 17 | 16 | — | 14 | 8 | 1 | 23 | 33 | 28 | 4 | 4 | 27 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 10 | E 13 | — | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | — | — | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ESE 16 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 10 | 9 | 11 | 26 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 | SSE 7 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — |
2443 | 2471 | 2908 | 2088 | 1555 | 942 | 1106 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | 96 | 157 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 671 | 576 | 302 | 302 | 166 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 28 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.










