
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 2,669 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Spit this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 3.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.
To be straight with you, the outlook for The Spit over the next 16 days is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions, with hardly a window that’s worth paddling out for. The first real glimmer doesn’t come until Thursday the 23rd of July, and even then it’s only marginal.
The pattern is dominated by a persistent southerly breeze, often fresh to strong, which keeps the surface lumpy and messy. The swell energy does pick up, especially from the 18th to the 21st, with combined energy readings climbing into the thousands (985 to 2324), but the wind is all wrong – cross to cross-onshore, and often strong. That’s a lot of water moving, but it’s going to be blown out and choppy. For the most part, the swell is from the SE to ESE, with periods around 8 to 10 seconds, so it’s a mix of windswell and medium-period groundswell. For a river break like The Spit, that long-period ESE groundswell on the 20th (11 seconds) could have offered some shape, but the cross-onshore wind ruins it.
Water temperature is sitting at 70°, which is about average for the time of year with a negligible anomaly of -0.2°, so nothing unusual there.
The only time the score even nudges up is on the 23rd of July – Thursday morning. We get a light southerly breeze (6 mph), making it a light cross-shore with just small ripples. The swell is 4 ft from the east at 9 seconds. The combined energy is in the moderate range (232). It’s still just a marginal forecast, but that’s the best we get. The afternoon sees a light onshore easterly, which could turn it a bit soft. Still, it’s the only day in the whole run with a score of 1 out of 10, and that’s as good as it gets here.
After that, it’s back to poor conditions through to the end of the month. The wind picks up again, and the swell drops off. On the 29th, there’s a brief moment of light wind and a 1 ft swell from the SE with a 11-second period, but the energy is weak (89), and it’s not enough to get excited about.
So, the standout? It’s got to be Thursday the 23rd of July, morning session. Light wind, 4 ft east swell. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the cleanest and most rideable window in a bleak forecast. If you’re a beginner, this is your day – the swell is small and manageable. The Spit is a consistent river break, so you can usually count on a wave, but crowds are often around, so expect company.
For the rest of the run, honestly, the setup with significant swell and strong, messy wind makes this look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s not unusual when the wind doesn’t play ball.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Wed morning, fresh winds from the S by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 17°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sat night, moderate winds from the SSE by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 51 | 267 | 316 | 456 | 316 | 203 | 183 | 364 | 985 | 1706 | 2487 | 1633 | 2062 | 1767 | 1923 | 1497 | 1982 | 1406 | 874 | 474 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:16PM1.85m | 9:39AM1.20m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:30PM0.17m | 3:54AM0.20m | 3:20PM0.20m | 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 | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | — | E 10 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | E 7 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
7 | 2 | — | 2 | 3 | 7 | 69 | 49 | — | — | — | — | 46 | — | — | — | — | 1175 | 918 | 725 | 474 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 7 | — | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | S 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
— | — | — | — | 1 | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | 19 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — |
4 | 51 | 267 | 316 | 456 | 316 | 203 | 183 | 364 | 985 | 1706 | 2487 | 1633 | 2062 | 1767 | 1923 | 1497 | 1982 | 1406 | 874 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 288 | 68 | 22 | 302 | 867 | 176 | 415 | 576 | 22 | 620 | 620 | 671 | 687 | 687 | 348 | 166 | 80 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 17 |
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.










