Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, SE swell with 3,709 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 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 coming our way for the Spit over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with ya; it's a rough start. We're looking at a solid week of onshore slop before a couple of windows of hope open up.
Right off the bat, Thursday the 16th through to Thursday the 23rd is a write-off. Strong to fresh southerly and southeasterly winds are gonna trash the place. The swell is there, no doubt, with combined energy readings climbing from a moderate 706 up to a strong 1964, and wave heights between 3ft and 10ft, but it's all cross-shore chop and lumpy mess. It's completely unsurfable. You'd be better off looking at a kite if you're desperate.
Finally, on the morning of Thursday the 23rd, things get interesting. We get a morning of glassy conditions with a light northwesterly wind. The swell drops back to 4ft from the east with a 9-second period – a friendly little groundswell. The water temp is sitting at about 70°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The Spit is a river mouth, so it'll be breaking on the banks. For the first time in over a week, it's a genuine option for a morning surf. It's a beginner-friendly break, so that size is perfect.
Then there's a real standout a couple days later on Saturday morning the 25th. I'm getting excited about this one. We've got light offshore winds from the west-northwest creating clean conditions right through the morning. A nice 6ft southeast swell with a 10-second period rolls in, giving us a combined energy of 619. That's clean, punchy surf for the Spit. This is the pick of the forecast for most surfers. The only issue is that crowds are often an issue here, so get in early.
After that, it fades back into the doldrums for the rest of the month. The last little flicker is on Tuesday morning the 28th. Clean offshore winds from the west-southwest with a 4ft south-southeast swell. It'll be surfable, but not a patch on the 25th.
So, to wrap it up: tough week ahead, but hang in there. The morning of Thursday the 23rd is a go, and Saturday morning the 25th is the one to circle on the calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Fri night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun night, min 18°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Wed morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 703 | 371 | 163 | 156 | 285 | 242 | 911 | 2283 | 1727 | 1341 | 1332 | 1410 | 1696 | 1928 | 1115 | 872 | 445 | 375 | 325 | 269 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:00PM1.78m | 10:26AM1.21m | 10:43PM1.67m | 11:14AM1.20m | 11:25PM1.52m | 12:03PM1.19m | 00:07AM1.37m | 12:55PM1.18m | 00:49AM1.21m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:34AM1.08m | 3:00PM1.20m | 2:28AM0.97m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:38AM0.20m | 4:10PM0.25m | 5:20AM0.23m | 5:01PM0.33m | 6:01AM0.26m | 5:53PM0.42m | 6:42AM0.30m | 6:52PM0.52m | 7:25AM0.34m | 8:01PM0.59m | 8:11AM0.36m | 9:24PM0.63m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  |  | | |  | | |  |  | | |  | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — |
mm | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | ENE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | S 16 | ESE 8 | E 20 | ESE 11 | — | SE 19 | — | — | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 3 | 6 | 46 | 49 | 5 | 242 | 8 | 2283 | — | 14 | — | — | — | 1308 | 838 | 641 | 445 | 375 | 325 | 269 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 24 | — | — | — | — | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 4 | SE 9 | SW 4 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 703 | 371 | 163 | 156 | 285 | 18 | 911 | 7 | 1727 | 1341 | 1332 | 1410 | 1696 | 1928 | 1115 | 872 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 574 | 460 | 176 | 576 | 22 | 22 | 348 | 460 | 671 | 460 | 302 | 166 | 80 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 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.
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