
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, ESE swell with 1,944 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 9s. 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the stretch ahead for The Spit. Let me tell you, it’s a pretty grim picture for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long, dry spell of poor surf, but there’s one afternoon that might just save the whole outlook.
The overall pattern is a real bummer. We’re coming off a period of strong, messy swell that’s been hammered by cross-onshore winds, making it totally unsurfable for days. Right now, the 20th of July is a write-off with 8ft of lumpy, cross-on junk. That energy is big, around 1480 (moderate to strong), but with a period of 10 seconds and that wind, it’s a mess.
That energy drops off fast, but the wind stays stubbornly wrong. Tuesday the 21st, Wednesday morning the 22nd... all poor. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is right on the money for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Then we get a glimmer. Wednesday afternoon, 22nd of July. The wind goes glassy, the sky clears, and The Spit cleans right up. We’ll have 5ft of swell from the east, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is decent at 526 (moderate). The wind is absolutely glass, so the surface will be perfect. For a river-mouth setup, that’s about as good as it gets around here. This is the standout of the whole 16-day window. It’s not a huge swell, but for a beginner-friendly spot like The Spit, 5ft with glassy conditions is a dream. The only catch? It’s a consistent spot, so expect a few others who know the forecast to be out there.
After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Thursday the 23rd drops to 4ft, and the wind turns onshore again. From Friday the 24th all the way through to the 4th of August, it’s a long stretch of tiny, weak waves, mostly under 3ft, with a lot of cross-shore breeze. The energy drops right off, often below 100 (weak). There’s a few clean mornings with offshore winds in late July and early August, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. On the 2nd of August, we see a 16-second period pulse, but it’s only 1ft and from the south-east, which isn’t going to do much at a spot that loves an east swell.
So, to sum it up: the only real window to paddle out is Wednesday afternoon, 22nd of July. It’s a short one, but it’s clean. The rest of the 16 days is a long, flat, and windy gap. For a spot like The Spit, this kind of blank run is pretty normal when the trade winds lock in.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Mon afternoon, calm by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1480 | 1734 | 1086 | 529 | 425 | 320 | 313 | 220 | 169 | 133 | 100 | 95 | 76 | 225 | 84 | 97 | 58 | 29 | 18 | 20 | |
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 | glassy | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 5:56AM0.90m | 6:37PM1.48m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:33AM0.32m | 1:16AM0.40m | |||||||
— | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
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 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
— | 1130 | 711 | 529 | 425 | 320 | 313 | 220 | 169 | 133 | 100 | 95 | 76 | 88 | 84 | 97 | 58 | 29 | 18 | 11 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ENE 10 | SE 11 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 9 | SE 7 | SE 10 | SE 15 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
— | — | — | 33 | 4 | 86 | 197 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 44 | 27 | 57 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 9 | SE 6 | SE 8 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | SE 18 | SE 11 | SE 14 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | SSE 7 |
— | — | — | 20 | 33 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 7 | 13 | 30 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — | ESE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 2 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1480 | 1734 | 1086 | — | 358 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 59 | 225 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 166 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 143 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 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.










