Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, SSE swell with 214 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period with ENE 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 24) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 6s. 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 1.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 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 outlook for The Spit.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: it’s a tough stretch ahead. Over the next 16 days, there’s only one morning that really stands out as worth paddling out for. The rest of the time, the conditions are pretty ordinary, with a lot of chop and cross-onshore wind messing things up. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We kick off on Monday, the 24th of August, and honestly, it’s a write-off. Southeasterly wind at 9 mph, cross-onshore, and the swell is only 3 ft from the ENE with a short 8-second period. The energy is weak (85), and the surface is choppy. Not worth a look. Tuesday morning on the 25th is a tease: the wind goes glassy from the north at just 3 mph, and while the swell is still small at 3 ft, it’s clean. You might get a few knee-high runners, but it’s not going to light the world on fire. Tuesday afternoon goes back to messy.
Wednesday the 26th sees a bit of hope with cross-offshore winds from the NW, keeping the surface clean. Swell bumps to 3 ft from the ENE, still on the weak side (95 energy). It’s surfable but very ordinary. The rest of that week into the weekend is plagued by moderate to fresh southerly and southeasterly winds, with swell heights staying between 2 ft and 4 ft. The energy picks up into triple digits (185-234), but the wind keeps it lumpy and cross-onshore. For the kitesurfers, that Saturday the 29th with 19 mph cross-onshore wind and 4 ft swell might look fun, but for a paddle surfer, it’s not your day.
There’s a real gap from the 29th of August right through to the morning of Wednesday, the 2nd of September. That’s almost four days of poor to marginal conditions.
Now here’s the standout. Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September. That’s the one. The wind switches to a glassy NNW at just 3 mph, and the swell comes in at a solid 5 ft from the ENE with an 8-second period. The energy is strong (250), so there’s some push behind it. The water will be glassy, the waves will be clean, and for a river-mouth setup like The Spit (exposed to the east), that ENE swell is right in the wheelhouse. It’s a beginner-friendly break normally, but at 5 ft with glassy conditions, it’s a great option for intermediates too. Just be aware that crowds are often here, so you’ll want to get in early. After that morning, the wind turns cross-onshore again in the afternoon, so your window is tight.
After that, the swell fades quickly. By the 4th and 5th of September, we’re back to tiny 2-3 ft stuff with moderate winds, and by the 8th of September, the swell bottoms out at 1 ft. The last few days of the outlook are flat and not worth the drive.
So, to sum it up: the only real highlight is the morning of Wednesday, the 2nd of September. The rest of the window is full of cross-onshore chop, small waves, and poor conditions. If you can’t make that Wednesday, you might as well wait for the next system.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | E 8 | SSE 9 | SE 5 | SE 5 | E 6 | ESE 6 | E 7 | E 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
75 | 85 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 113 | 78 | 89 | 71 | 69 | 109 | 214 | 143 | 78 | 156 | 60 | 65 | 65 | 129 | 126 | 139 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:07PM1.41m | 6:29AM0.94m | 6:43PM1.48m | 7:06AM1.03m | 7:17PM1.54m | 7:40AM1.11m | 7:50PM1.57m | 8:13AM1.20m | 8:23PM1.58m | 8:46AM1.27m | 8:56PM1.56m | 9:20AM1.33m | 9:31PM1.51m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:10AM0.36m | 00:48AM0.33m | 11:57AM0.31m | 1:19AM0.26m | 12:39PM0.26m | 1:48AM0.20m | 1:18PM0.21m | 2:16AM0.15m | 1:55PM0.18m | 2:45AM0.13m | 2:33PM0.17m | 3:15AM0.13m | 3:13PM0.19m | 3:45AM0.14m | |||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 6 | E 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
75 | 85 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 113 | 78 | 89 | 71 | 69 | 109 | 124 | 74 | 4 | 84 | 50 | 51 | 65 | 38 | 9 | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 10 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SE 10 | SE 10 | — | E 13 |
7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 58 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 15 | — | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 5 | SE 5 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | NE 10 | — | — | NNE 8 | SE 14 | SSE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 15 | — | — |
2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 15 | — | — | 6 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | N 4 | W 3 | — | — | SSE 5 | SE 4 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | E 8 | SSE 9 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 6 | ESE 6 | E 7 | E 6 |
1 | — | — | — | 1 | 15 | 2 | — | — | 18 | 18 | 214 | 143 | 78 | 156 | 60 | 65 | 21 | 129 | 126 | 139 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 549 | 129 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 14 | 68 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 22 | 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.











