
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, SSE swell with 574 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with NE 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) 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 0.5m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at The Spit over the next couple of weeks. It’s going to be a quiet stretch for a while, so don’t get your hopes up too high early on.
Right now, the water’s sitting at a pretty average 69°, nothing unusual for this time of year. The first bit of rideable surf pops up Sunday morning, August 9th – but it's nothing to write home about. We’ve got a small 3ft easterly swell, period a short 9 seconds, and the combined energy is only moderate at best (167). Wind is light cross-off from the NNW, so it should look clean, but the wave quality is just “surfable”. Still, it's the best we’ve got to kick things off.
After that Sunday morning, it gets messy. Through Sunday afternoon, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we’re looking at tiny waves – 2ft to 3ft – with onshore or cross-shore winds and choppy conditions most of the time. The swell energy drops into the weak range, down to 52 at some points. Not worth paddling out for.
Friday the 14th sees a spike: the swell jumps to 6ft out of the SSE, with a short 8-second period and combined energy jumping up to 460 (moderate-to-strong). But here’s the catch – the wind goes cross-shore at a solid 12 mph, and then turns fresh cross-on in the afternoon. It’ll be lumpy and bumpy. Sets might look fat and close out quickly on this river mouth setup. This one’s more for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, honestly.
The next few days – Saturday 15th through Thursday 20th – are a real slog. Swell sits between 3ft and 6ft, but the wind stays cross or cross-on from the SSE or SE, often in the 12-19 mph range. Conditions will be choppy, lumpy, or cross-chop. The combined energy peaks at 1201 on Wednesday morning the 19th (strong wave energy), but with a 7ft swell and cross-on winds, it’s going to be a washing machine. Definitely not beginner friendly, and experts will have to work for it.
The standout window doesn’t come until Friday, August 21st. The morning’s a bit marginal with rain showers and a light cross-on wind, but by Friday afternoon we get a small window of magic: the wind goes glassy, the swell drops a little to 5ft from the east at a steady 9 seconds, combined energy at a solid 420 (moderate-to-strong). Conditions are described as “glassy” and “expect good surf”. This is the best session on offer – clean, fun-sized waves for a go-out.
Monday, August 24th, also has potential. The morning gets glassy again with a 4ft east swell, long period of 11 seconds, and combined energy of 413 (moderate-to-strong). That longer period groundswell should give some push and shape, though at a beach-and-river break like The Spit, it might wall up a bit straight. Still, with glassy winds, it’s a great chance for some clean, lined-up waves.
Crowds are often a factor at The Spit, and with the limited good windows, you can expect it to be busy when it’s clean.
So bottom line: the first week is mostly a write-off. Hang tight, and target the afternoons of Friday the 21st and Monday the 24th for your best chance at some clean, fun surf.
– Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the SE by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
153 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 94 | 73 | 56 | 56 | 61 | 81 | 83 | 60 | 42 | 41 | 574 | 373 | 115 | 353 | 66 | 47 | 66 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | off | off | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 5:43PM1.60m | 6:06AM1.02m | 6:41PM1.70m | 7:04AM1.10m | 7:30PM1.76m | 7:53AM1.17m | 8:15PM1.78m | 8:37AM1.24m | 8:57PM1.74m | 9:20AM1.28m | 9:37PM1.65m | 10:01AM1.30m | 10:15PM1.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:38AM0.31m | 00:31AM0.35m | 11:44AM0.25m | 1:21AM0.26m | 12:42PM0.18m | 2:06AM0.18m | 1:34PM0.13m | 2:47AM0.14m | 2:23PM0.12m | 3:25AM0.12m | 3:09PM0.14m | 4:01AM0.14m | 3:54PM0.20m | ||||||||
6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ENE 9 | SE 7 | ENE 9 | E 9 | ENE 10 |
153 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 91 | 73 | 56 | 56 | 61 | 81 | 83 | 60 | 42 | 41 | 115 | 45 | 28 | 65 | 29 | 27 | 30 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | E 13 | E 9 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | SSE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | N 8 | — | E 11 |
11 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 94 | 38 | 23 | 21 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 28 | 28 | 3 | 28 | 1 | — | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | — | — | — | NE 11 | — | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SE 10 | — | NE 9 | — | — | E 16 |
3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | 5 | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14 | — | 3 | — | — | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNE 2 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | — | — | WSW 2 | W 2 | NNE 6 | SSW 3 | S 6 | SE 3 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
— | 1 | 44 | 92 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 18 | 4 | 574 | 373 | 115 | 353 | 66 | 47 | 66 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 288 | 139 | 149 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 28 | 28 | 22 |
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.











