
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SE swell with 2,103 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s 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 11) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 10PM. 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 12) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
Righto, grab a seat. Rusty here, and I’ve had a proper look at what’s comin’ down the line for The Spit. Gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a lean spell for a while, so don’t get your hopes up too early.
The swell window is mostly closed for the next week or so. We’ve got a tiny bit of energy from the 11th of July, but it’s barely a ripple – 4 ft from the SE with a long 12-second period, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s not doing any favours. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is pretty much spot-on average for this time of year.
After that, things go quiet. From the 12th right through to the 16th of July, the surf is basically a write-off – tiny, chopped, or blown out. You’re looking at a solid gap of several days where there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The energy is weak, sometimes as low as single-digit figures (10 to 56), and the combination of onshore or cross winds just kills any chance of a wave.
Then, from the 17th of July, the swell starts to build, but it gets ugly. We see a jump to 8 ft on the Friday, with combined energy jumping into four-digit territory (1,352), but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore making it lumpy and messy. By Saturday the 18th, the swell is pumping – 10 ft from the ESE – but that’s way too much for this spot. The combined energy hits 3,009, which is a proper grunty swell, but for The Spit, that’s expert-only territory and honestly, it’s a river break that’s likely going to be a washing machine. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s not clean, and honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The real standout, if we can call it that, is Wednesday the 22nd of July. The swell drops back to a nice, manageable 5 ft from the E, with a long period of 13 seconds – proper groundswell. The kicker here is the glassy conditions on the morning, with no wind. That’s the cleanest window in the whole 16 days. The combined energy is moderate at 746, and the swell direction is lining up well for The Spit (optimum is E). It’s still going to be a bit too big for beginners, but for an intermediate surfer looking for a smooth, lined-up wave, that’s your session. The period is long, so expect better shaped waves and longer lulls between sets – makes paddling out easier.
After that, it fades out again. The 23rd has a clean morning with 4 ft and glass, but the energy drops to 368, and the rest of the week is back to small, onshore junk. Crowds? The Spit gets hit often, so expect company, especially if it cleans up.
So to wrap it up: the first week is a no-go. The middle weekend is too big and messy for anything but kite gear. The one true standout is the morning of Wednesday the 22nd of July – glassy, 5 ft E swell, long period. That’s your call-to-arms. Everything else is a pass.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
325 | 222 | 141 | 88 | 64 | 33 | 32 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 49 | 178 | 784 | 611 | 427 | 1352 | 1300 | 1100 | 1956 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 5:51PM1.62m | 6:02AM1.08m | 6:49PM1.74m | 7:05AM1.10m | 7:41PM1.82m | 8:01AM1.14m | 8:30PM1.86m | 8:51AM1.17m | 9:16PM1.85m | 9:39AM1.20m | 10:00PM1.78m | 10:26AM1.21m | 10:43PM1.67m | 11:14AM1.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:31AM0.43m | 11:49AM0.25m | 1:29AM0.34m | 12:45PM0.21m | 2:21AM0.26m | 1:39PM0.18m | 3:09AM0.22m | 2:30PM0.17m | 3:54AM0.20m | 3:20PM0.20m | 4:38AM0.20m | 4:10PM0.25m | 5:20AM0.23m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | |
5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | 5:08 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | — | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | — | — | — | ESE 10 |
294 | 222 | 141 | 88 | 64 | 33 | 32 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 1053 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | — | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | — | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
325 | 64 | 41 | 39 | — | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 8 | — | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
— | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 49 | 178 | 784 | 611 | 427 | 1352 | 1300 | 1100 | 1956 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 288 | 17 | 160 | 331 | 364 | 237 | 348 | 22 | 166 | 166 | 166 | 166 | 460 | 28 | 28 |
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.











