The Spit Surf Break

Lat Long: 27.94° S 153.43° E

The Spit Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Spit sea temperature is
20.4° C
0.5° 

The Spit surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Spit surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, ESE swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 8s period, ESE swell with 688 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 (Aug 12) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 2.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Wed 12th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 9s
Best Surf 7AM (Tue 18th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 8s
Most Powerful 4AM (Tue 18th Aug)8ft (2.4m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’re looking at a long stretch ahead for The Spit, and to be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There’s some swell around, but the wind is often a problem. The water temperature is sitting at 69°F, which is just about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first few days are pretty ordinary. The Spit is an exposed river break, and it’s consistent, but the swell is small and the conditions are messy. Wednesday morning the 12th kicks off with a tiny 2ft easterly swell, period is a short 9 seconds, and combined wave energy is weak at just 71. The wind is light offshore from the west, so it’s clean, but the waves are just not there. Wednesday afternoon is glassy with an easterly breeze, but still only 2ft. Thursday morning the 13th is similar with a 2ft easterly swell and clean conditions. After that, it goes downhill.

From Thursday afternoon through to the end of the first week, the wind swings onshore or cross-shore, and the quality drops hard. The swell stays small, peaking at a messy 4ft on Saturday afternoon, but with a short period of 6 seconds and strong cross winds. The combined energy climbs a bit, hitting 116 on Saturday, but it’s lumpy and choppy. Not worth a paddle.

The second week starts to show some energy, but it’s not paired with good wind. Monday the 17th sees a 6ft easterly swell in the morning, with moderate cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. The energy jumps to 542, but it’s a messy, windy affair. Tuesday the 18th has a bigger 7ft swell in the morning, but it’s cross-onshore with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a solid 1027 in combined energy, but this is a beach-and-river setup, and with that much wind, it’s honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s too big for beginners and marginal for experts.

The one standout, the only time I’d get excited, is Sunday morning the 23rd. The swell is 4ft from the east, with a long period of 11 seconds, giving it some proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a solid 328. The wind is light cross-offshore from the west-northwest, so the conditions will be clean. That’s a decent window for The Spit, with clean lines and some push. It’s the best on offer, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it. The afternoon goes onshore, so get in early.

After that, the swell fades back to small and messy, with a few clean mornings like Wednesday the 26th, but the waves are tiny at 2ft. Not worth chasing.

So, bottom line: a long, frustrating forecast with a lot of wind and chop. The best bet is Sunday the 23rd in the morning. Get in there before the change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the SE by Fri afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds.

Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
E
9
0.6
E
9
0.6
E
9
0.5
E
9
0.5
E
9
1.4
SSE
8
0.6
SE
7
0.8
SE
6
1.4
SSE
6
0.4
ENE
9
1.1
SE
6
0.8
SSE
7
0.7
E
6
1.1
ESE
6
1.8
SE
6
1.7
ESE
7
1.4
ESE
8
1.9
ESE
8
2.2
ESE
8
1.7
E
8
2.1
ESE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
60
61
61
42
42
257
38
39
146
29
83
56
32
91
261
319
226
406
650
377
563
Wind (km/h)
10
W
5
ENE
15
W
10
SW
20
SE
15
SSW
20
SSE
30
SE
20
S
25
SSE
30
SSE
25
S
25
SSE
30
SSE
20
SSE
25
SSE
30
SE
25
SE
25
SE
25
SE
20
SSE
Wind State
off
glassy
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
8:15PM1.78m
8:37AM1.24m
8:57PM1.74m
9:20AM1.28m
9:37PM1.65m
10:01AM1.30m
10:15PM1.52m
10:43AM1.29m
10:51PM1.38m
11:26AM1.27m
11:27PM1.22m
12:12PM1.23m
00:04AM1.08m
Low Tide
1:34PM0.13m
2:47AM0.14m
2:23PM0.12m
3:25AM0.12m
3:09PM0.14m
4:01AM0.14m
3:54PM0.20m
4:37AM0.17m
4:40PM0.29m
5:11AM0.21m
5:28PM0.39m
5:47AM0.27m
6:21PM0.49m
clear
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
mod rain
rain showers
clear
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:20
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:16
6:16
6:15
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:23
5:24
5:24
 mm
1
1
3
2
1
7
7
2
3
Temp °C
21
21
14
19
18
16
19
18
16
19
18
15
18
17
16
17
17
17
19
17
16
Feels °C
19
20
12
15
14
13
14
12
13
13
12
10
13
12
13
13
12
12
14
13
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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