Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, E swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, ESE swell with 2,329 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.9m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Spit in the next 16 days are 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
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 16-day picture for The Spit. Honestly, I’ve got to be straight with you—this stretch is a tough one to call a surf outlook. The pattern is pretty much a long, drawn-out run of poor conditions, with cross-shore and cross-onshore winds dominating, and the swell is often messy. There’s no standout day that’s firing for a proper surf session here.
The water temp is sitting around 70°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
We’ve got a solid gap of surfable recommendations. The first real flicker of *anything* comes on the 24th of July, Friday afternoon. That’s the first time we get a glassy window, with a light offshore breeze swinging in from the west-southwest. The swell is a tiny 4 ft, coming from the east with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is weak (243). It’s not big, but it’s clean. That’s your best bet in the whole 16 days—a Friday afternoon session with a glassy surface. It’s only a “marginal to fair” call, but it’s the only time the wind is truly on your side.
Before that, from the 15th through the 24th morning, it’s a wasteland of cross-shore and cross-onshore winds, often fresh to strong, with the swell building up to 12 ft by the 19th, but it’s totally blown out. The energy levels get high (up to 1987), but with that wind, it’s a mess. For a river break like The Spit, that’s just not worth it.
After that Friday afternoon window, the rest of the week is a drop-off. The 25th and 26th are small and choppy, and the 27th has a couple of glassy moments but the swell is only 2 ft to 2 ft—barely a ripple. The 28th onwards is a slow fade into tiny, weak conditions.
So, to sum it up: the only real highlight is Friday afternoon, the 24th of July. Get there for the glassy, clean conditions on a small, 4 ft east swell. The rest of the 16 days is a long, boring gap with no real surf to get excited about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 47mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun night, min 17°C on Sat afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sat night, moderate winds from the SE by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wed 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 62 | 197 | 354 | 565 | 352 | 248 | 204 | 285 | 617 | 1639 | 1693 | 1697 | 1980 | 1893 | 1924 | 2329 | 1850 | 1650 | 951 | 913 | 455 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:16PM1.85m | 9:39AM1.20m | 10:00PM1.78m | 10:26AM1.21m | 10:43PM1.67m | 11:14AM1.20m | 11:25PM1.52m | 12:03PM1.19m | 00:07AM1.37m | 12:55PM1.18m | 00:49AM1.21m | 1:53PM1.18m | 1:34AM1.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:54AM0.20m | 3:20PM0.20m | 4:38AM0.20m | 4:10PM0.25m | 5:20AM0.23m | 5:01PM0.33m | 6:01AM0.26m | 5:53PM0.42m | 6:42AM0.30m | 6:52PM0.52m | 7:25AM0.34m | 8:01PM0.59m | 8:11AM0.36m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | |  |  | | |  | | | |  |  | |  | | |
 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 |
 | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | 5:10 |
mm | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 9 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | — | E 10 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | E 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | — | E 18 | SE 24 | S 19 | — | — | — | S 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 2 | — | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 39 | 285 | 617 | — | 7 | 22 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | 1183 | 951 | 610 | 455 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | S 20 | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 17 | 22 | 18 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | S 4 | S 5 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 10 | — | E 10 | — |
| kJ | 62 | 197 | 354 | 565 | 352 | 248 | 204 | 12 | 61 | 1639 | 1693 | 1697 | 1980 | 1893 | 1924 | 2329 | 1850 | 1650 | — | 913 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 68 | 22 | 302 | 460 | 176 | 176 | 665 | 22 | 671 | 759 | 665 | 687 | 687 | 348 | 166 | 166 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 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.
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