
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 2,628 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 2.5m and 10s. 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 3.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
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 on the menu for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow start, but we’ve got a couple of windows worth keeping an eye on.
The first few days are a write-off, to be honest. We’ve got a solid wall of swell rolling in on Monday the 20th, with 10ft coming from the ESE, but the wind is howling out of the SSE at 25 mph, making it a strong, messy cross-onshore. The combined energy is a heavy 1996, but it’s all for nothing – the surface is just blown out. That nasty wind and cross-on chop hangs around right through to Tuesday. The swell dips a bit Wednesday morning, but it’s still a messy 5ft before we get a real turn.
Wednesday the 22nd afternoon is where it gets interesting. The wind drops right out, going glassy with a light northerly. The swell drops to 4ft from the east, with a moderate 9-second period. The combined energy is a modest 290, but the conditions are clean. This is a proper session for a log or a funboard. It’s not a big day, but it’s the best we’ll see for a bit.
Thursday the 23rd morning is the standout for the week. We’ve got a clean 3ft east swell with a perfect light offshore wind from the west at 3 mph. The period is a short 8 seconds, but it’s clean as a whistle. The Spit will be offering up little peelers, and it’s a beginner-friendly height. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
From Thursday afternoon, things go downhill again. The wind shifts onshore, and the swell drops to tiny, gutless levels through the weekend and into the following week. The combined energy sinks to below 100, with a 2ft swell on Saturday morning that’s cross-off but tiny. There’s a serious gap in quality surf for about a week.
Then, on Friday the 31st of July, we get a bit of a late bloomer. The swell is small again, only 2ft, but it’s coming from the ESE with a very long 14-second period. The wind is light and offshore out of the west, and the combined energy is 222. The period is so long that it’s a groundswell, which at a river mouth like The Spit can mean the waves stand up a bit better than you’d expect for the size. It’s a clean, glassy morning, but the size is tiny. It’s a promising but very long-range call, so don’t get your hopes up too high.
The final weekend of the forecast (August 1st and 2nd) sees a bump in the swell to 6ft on Saturday afternoon, but it’s coming from the SSE with a 16 mph cross-shore wind. The combined energy hits 850, but the conditions are lumpy and cross. It’s more of a wind-swell mess, and for a spot like this, that’s not a good look. It’s likely more interesting for the kite crew than us paddle surfers.
So, the bottom line: Wednesday 22nd afternoon for a glassy, small wave grovel, and Thursday 23rd morning for the cleanest, most user-friendly waves of the window. The long-range Friday 31st is a whisper of something better, but it’s a long way off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun night, min 17°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun night, calm by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
2700 | 1996 | 1484 | 1700 | 979 | 513 | 373 | 327 | 270 | 215 | 136 | 108 | 102 | 76 | 78 | 129 | 51 | 51 | 36 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | glassy | off | off | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross |
High Tide | 00:07AM1.37m | 12:55PM1.18m | 00:49AM1.21m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:34AM1.08m | 3:00PM1.20m | 2:28AM0.97m | 4:10PM1.25m | 3:37AM0.90m | 5:09PM1.32m | 4:53AM0.88m | 5:56PM1.40m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:42AM0.30m | 6:52PM0.52m | 7:25AM0.34m | 8:01PM0.59m | 8:11AM0.36m | 9:24PM0.63m | 9:00AM0.37m | 10:45PM0.61m | 9:53AM0.37m | 11:48PM0.55m | 10:45AM0.35m | 00:36AM0.48m | |||||||
— | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
— | — | — | 1130 | 687 | 513 | 373 | 327 | 270 | 215 | 136 | 108 | 102 | 76 | 58 | 74 | 51 | 51 | 36 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SSE 11 | ENE 10 | SE 11 | E 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 7 | SSE 7 | SE 11 | E 10 | SE 11 |
— | — | — | — | 25 | 57 | 4 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 68 | 42 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 10 | 29 | 7 | 19 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 14 | E 12 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | — | NE 9 | SE 11 | SE 18 | SSE 11 | E 9 |
— | — | — | — | — | 20 | 19 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | — | 3 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 3 | SSE 5 | SSE 2 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | — | — | — |
2700 | 1996 | 1484 | 1700 | 979 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 24 | 1 | 78 | 129 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 348 | 166 | 80 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 7 |
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.










