Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, SSE swell with 436 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. 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 1.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
First off, it’s been a real struggle at The Spit lately. The river break is a consistent spot, but we’re going through a dry spell. The week kicks off with precious little on offer, and honestly, it’s a bit of a waiting game.
Thursday the 23rd is the only half-decent window in the first few days, and it’s a tight one. You’ll get a morning session with small 4ft easterly swell and a period of 8 seconds. The wind is glassy from the WSW at just 3 mph, so the surface will be perfect. The combined wave energy is moderate at 273, and water temp is a normal 69° for this time of year. It’s small, but it’s clean. After that, things get blown out and messy for days.
We’ve got a big gap. From Friday the 24th all the way through to Wednesday the 30th, every session is a write-off. The wind is either cross, cross-on, or just too strong, and the swell is small and weak. It’s a long stretch of nothing.
Now, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The standout for the whole outlook is the afternoon of Friday the 31st of July. A fresh offshore wind from the west at 16 mph will groom a 5ft southeast swell with a 10-second period, creating a clean, lined-up wave. The combined energy jumps to a strong 471, and it’s the best quality we’ve seen. The Spit is an exposed river mouth, so that southeast swell will wrap in nicely. This is the one to circle. The following morning on Saturday the 1st of August is also a good call, with a lighter 6 mph offshore wind and a 4ft SE swell, giving an energy of 287. It’s a solid follow-up session.
The next week tails off again. A few glassy mornings like Sunday the 2nd and Tuesday the 4th offer clean but weak surf under 3ft, and by Friday the 7th of August, we get another glassy morning with a 3ft ESE swell and a nice long 11-second period, giving a moderate 214 energy. It’s clean, but it’s small.
Overall, it’s a lean forecast. The Spit is a consistent break, but it’s been starved for quality. The big wait is for that Friday the 31st – that’s the real moment.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 6 | E 8 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 12 | E 13 | SSE 10 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 11 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 173 | 133 | 105 | 80 | 95 | 91 | 355 | 80 | 41 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 18 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 4:10PM1.25m | 3:37AM0.90m | 5:09PM1.32m | 4:53AM0.88m | 5:56PM1.40m | 5:56AM0.90m | 6:37PM1.48m | 6:45AM0.94m | 7:14PM1.55m | 7:27AM1.00m | 7:48PM1.60m | 8:06AM1.05m | 8:22PM1.64m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:45PM0.61m | 9:53AM0.37m | 11:48PM0.55m | 10:45AM0.35m | 00:36AM0.48m | 11:33AM0.32m | 1:16AM0.40m | 12:18PM0.29m | 1:51AM0.33m | 12:59PM0.26m | 2:24AM0.27m | 1:38PM0.23m | 2:56AM0.22m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — |
 | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | ESE 11 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 173 | 133 | 105 | 80 | 58 | 91 | 113 | 80 | 41 | 29 | 17 | 30 | 29 | 10 | 10 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 18 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | S 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 11 | ENE 8 | SSE 10 | SE 14 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 3 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 87 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 27 | 42 | 51 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SE 9 | SE 6 | E 12 | E 10 | — | SE 16 | SE 11 | ENE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | E 13 | E 12 | E 7 | E 13 | E 12 | SSE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 13 | E 12 |
| kJ | 13 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 19 | — | 64 | 29 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 4 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 8 | 95 | 62 | 355 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 28 | 0 | 28 | 68 | 0 | 17 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 17 | 28 | 17 | 17 | 28 | 17 | 98 | 176 | 88 |
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.
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