Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, N swell with 164 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. 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 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s ahead for The Spit.
To be straight with you, the next 16 days are a tough watch. The Spit is a river mouth setup, exposed to easterly swells, and the forecast is a long stretch of small, weak, messy surf. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about average for this time of year, so that’s one thing that’s not working against us.
The first few days, starting Wednesday the 2nd, are a write-off. Tiny swell, around 2ft to 2ft, and the wind is all over the place – cross-off in the mornings but then turning cross or onshore, with a fresh breeze by afternoon. The energy is weak, just 60 to 80 (combined energy of all swells directed here). It’s clean early on Wednesday morning, but with those tiny waves, there’s nothing to ride.
Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are more of the same. Swell drops to 1ft, energy below 50, and the wind goes cross-on or onshore by the afternoon. Not worth paddling out.
Saturday the 5th is a bit of a joke. Morning has 1.0ft, then the afternoon brings a sudden shift to 3ft from the NNE, but with a period of only 4 seconds – that’s wind chop, not surf. The wind is howling at 30 km/h from the north, making it a lumpy mess.
Sunday the 6th is the first time we get a “surfable” rating, but it’s still very ordinary. 2ft in the morning, clean with a cross-off breeze, but the swell is short-period and weak. Better than nothing, but you’d be scraping.
Monday the 7th morning is a tease – glassy conditions, 1.0ft, but it’s just flat. The afternoon turns cross-on and choppy.
Through the rest of the first week and into the second, it’s a grind. The only real standout, if you can call it that, is on Wednesday the 16th. The afternoon brings a jump to 6ft of swell from the ENE, with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 653 – that’s moderate to strong energy. But the wind is a moderate cross-shore from the NNE at 25 km/h, and the forecast says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” That’s a big caveat. For a beginner spot like this, 6ft is getting too big, and the cross-shore wind will make it lumpy. It’s really only for the ones who know what they’re doing.
The following morning, Thursday the 17th, drops to 5ft with onshore wind, so that window closes fast.
Overall, it’s a bleak 16 days. The Spit is consistent, but the conditions just aren’t lining up. If you’re desperate, the morning of Sunday the 6th or the afternoon of Wednesday the 16th might offer a couple of rides, but don’t expect much. The energy is too low, the wind is off, and the swell is too short-period for most of the run.
Stay patient, mates. It’ll turn around eventually.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 17°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 18°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 5 | N 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 4 | N 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | E 9 | NE 8 | NE 7 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
46 | 47 | 42 | 27 | 27 | 74 | 28 | 27 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 164 | 24 | 37 | 22 | 15 | 20 | 14 | 38 | 43 | 26 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:27AM1.41m | 11:32PM1.17m | 12:24PM1.40m | 00:28AM1.03m | 1:33PM1.39m | 1:43AM0.92m | 2:57PM1.41m | 3:25AM0.88m | 4:23PM1.48m | 5:01AM0.94m | 5:31PM1.56m | 6:05AM1.05m | 6:25PM1.63m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:42PM0.40m | 5:40AM0.28m | 6:54PM0.49m | 6:36AM0.34m | 8:29PM0.53m | 7:48AM0.39m | 10:10PM0.48m | 9:14AM0.39m | 11:24PM0.38m | 10:35AM0.34m | 00:17AM0.27m | 11:41AM0.26m | 1:00AM0.19m | ||||||||
6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | |
— | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 18 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 18 | 17 | 15 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | NE 5 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 5 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | E 10 | NNE 6 | NE 5 | NE 8 | NE 5 | NE 7 | E 9 | ESE 4 |
46 | 47 | 42 | 13 | 27 | 21 | 16 | 27 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 41 | 24 | 17 | 22 | 14 | 20 | 6 | 16 | 15 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | E 9 | SE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 9 | SE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 7 | E 9 | NE 7 | ENE 9 |
5 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 4 | 28 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 2 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 26 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 11 | SE 11 | NE 7 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 5 | SSE 11 | E 15 | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 9 | S 10 | SE 5 | SE 5 | E 9 | N 8 | E 9 | SE 9 |
5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | NW 3 | NNE 5 | N 6 | S 3 | E 3 | — | — | NNE 4 | N 6 | — | NNE 6 | — | — | NE 3 | — | SE 4 | SE 5 | — |
4 | 17 | 18 | 2 | 24 | 74 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 17 | 164 | — | 37 | — | — | 1 | — | 38 | 43 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 288 | 14 | 66 | 164 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 81 | 33 | 288 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 80 | 28 | 176 | 143 | 68 | 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.











