Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 564 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for The Spit. To be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and ordinary. We’ve got a stretch of poor surf conditions that hangs around for a good while, with only a few brief moments where it might be worth a paddle.
The first proper chance to get wet doesn’t come until the morning of Friday, 21 August. The swell is tiny, only about 3 ft from the ENE with a short period of 7 seconds, so not much push there. The combined energy is weak (141). What makes it interesting is the glassy conditions—wind is from the NNW at just 3 mph, so the surface will be clean. It’s a beginner-friendly river break that’s consistent, but the swell is small and the period is short, so expect very ordinary waves. The water temp is 68°, which is about normal for the time of year.
Saturday morning, 22 August, is similar. Still a small 2 ft swell from the ENE, period still short at 7 seconds, and combined energy is weak (58). The wind is light from the NNW at 6 mph, giving clean, cross-off conditions. Again, surfable but nothing to write home about.
Then we hit a real dry spell. From Saturday afternoon right through to the end of the month, there’s barely anything worth mentioning. Most days show poor surf conditions, with swell dropping to 2 ft or less and combined energy often below 100. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, making things choppy. It’s a long gap with no real recommendations.
The only other moment that might perk up is Wednesday morning, 26 August. A tiny 2 ft ENE swell with an 8-second period, but the wind is offshore from the W at 9 mph, so it will be clean. Combined energy is weak (74). Still very small and ordinary.
Looking way out to Wednesday, 2 September, there’s a bit more size coming. The morning shows a 6 ft SSE swell with a 9-second period and moderate combined energy (680). But the wind is cross-shore from the SSE at 16 mph, creating a cross-chop. The water temp anomaly isn’t given, but the surf is still rated as poor. That’s a long way off and conditions are likely to change, so don’t bank on it.
Honestly, for this stretch, Friday morning, 21 August, is the best bet—just for the glassy conditions and a chance to get out, even if the waves are small and ordinary. After that, it’s mostly a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
220 | 268 | 500 | 564 | 171 | 120 | 121 | 196 | 124 | 53 | 59 | 62 | 49 | 69 | 85 | 79 | 81 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 67 | |
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 | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:12PM1.23m | 00:04AM1.08m | 1:04PM1.20m | 00:45AM0.95m | 2:07PM1.18m | 1:41AM0.84m | 3:23PM1.20m | 3:04AM0.79m | 4:32PM1.25m | 4:42AM0.80m | 5:25PM1.33m | 5:45AM0.86m | 6:07PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:21PM0.49m | 6:24AM0.32m | 7:28PM0.58m | 7:08AM0.37m | 8:57PM0.61m | 8:04AM0.41m | 10:29PM0.58m | 9:09AM0.42m | 11:31PM0.50m | 10:15AM0.40m | 00:13AM0.42m | 11:10AM0.36m | 00:48AM0.33m | ||||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 15 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
7 | 4 | 139 | 111 | 70 | 120 | 121 | 196 | 124 | 53 | 59 | 62 | 49 | 69 | 85 | 79 | 81 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 67 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | — | SE 9 | SE 11 | S 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | — | ENE 7 | ESE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | S 11 | S 11 |
5 | — | 68 | 172 | 5 | 48 | 41 | — | 57 | 48 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 12 | — | — | S 9 | ESE 12 | — | E 7 | SSE 8 | — | E 14 | E 11 | E 10 | SE 7 | SE 8 | S 9 | E 18 | SE 15 | — | NE 10 |
— | — | 50 | — | — | 6 | 13 | — | 52 | 40 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | — | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 5 |
220 | 268 | 500 | 564 | 171 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 20 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 28 | 14 | 24 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 0 | 12 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 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.











