
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with 2,172 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with ESE 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period. 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 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
G'day, Rusty here, your local surf reporter. Let me tell you straight up, it's a tough run of luck for The Spit over the next couple of weeks. There's a lot of waiting involved, but there might be a couple of decent windows to scratch an itch.
This forecast is pretty much a write-off for the first week and a half. We're looking at a solid 11-day stretch with no real surf on offer. The Spit is a river break that's exposed to the east, and we've got a whole lot of messy, onshore wind and building swell that just won't cooperate. From Monday the 13th to Wednesday the 23rd, it's all "poor surf conditions" with scores of zero. It's not worth paddling out for a dribble with a cross-shore chop.
The waves start to get some size from Thursday the 16th, with the swell climbing from 5ft, but it's coming with a strong cross-wind, making it lumpy and messy. By Friday the 17th, we're looking at 6ft to 7ft of swell, but the wind is howling at 22 to 25 mph right onshore, so it's just a washing machine. The energy is building from moderate (320) to strong (521), but it's all for nothing with the wind.
The weekend of the 18th and 19th gets even bigger, with swell hitting 8ft to 10ft. The combined energy is massive, hitting 1741 on Saturday morning and 2442 on Monday morning, but for a beginner-friendly river break, that's way too much juice. The wind is still a mess, so it's a no-go for paddle surfing. Honestly, this setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than getting a proper wave on a surfboard.
There is a glimmer of hope, though. The real standout is the morning of Friday the 24th of July. It's the first time we see a recommendation for "expect good surf conditions" with a score of 2. We'll have a clean 3ft of east swell, with a period of 10 seconds, and a light north-west cross-offshore breeze. The wind will be light, only 6 mph, and the energy is a moderate 211. It's small, but it'll be clean and rideable for a beginner or for a longboard, and it's the best we've seen in weeks.
The following morning, Saturday the 25th of July, also looks promising. Another clean morning with a 4ft east swell and a light north-west wind. The wind is a little stronger at 9 mph, but still cross-off and clean. The energy is a solid 217, so there's a bit of push.
Then on Sunday the 26th of July, the swell drops to 3ft, but it gets interesting. The period jumps to 12 seconds, which is a nice long-period groundswell. This can make it break a bit straight at a beach break, but for a river mouth, it can sometimes line up nicely. The wind is still a clean north-west cross-off at 9 mph, and the energy is a moderate 277. It's small, but it'll be clean and have some real push to it.
So, to sum it up: the first 11 days are a complete blank. The only real standout is the morning of Friday the 24th, with Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th also offering clean, small waves. It's not a classic run, but for a consistent spot like The Spit, it tends not to stay poor for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the S by Wed afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sun 19 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
64 | 33 | 32 | 17 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 91 | 167 | 237 | 309 | 126 | 389 | 521 | 1024 | 1124 | 705 | 1354 | 1168 | 1455 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:05AM1.10m | 7:41PM1.82m | 8:01AM1.14m | 8:30PM1.86m | 8:51AM1.17m | 9:16PM1.85m | 9:39AM1.20m | 10:00PM1.78m | 10:26AM1.21m | 10:43PM1.67m | 11:14AM1.20m | 11:25PM1.52m | 12:03PM1.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:29AM0.34m | 12:45PM0.21m | 2:21AM0.26m | 1:39PM0.18m | 3:09AM0.22m | 2:30PM0.17m | 3:54AM0.20m | 3:20PM0.20m | 4:38AM0.20m | 4:10PM0.25m | 5:20AM0.23m | 5:01PM0.33m | 6:01AM0.26m | 5:53PM0.42m | |||||||
— | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | |
— | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | — | NE 9 | NE 8 | E 7 | NE 8 | — | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 20 | ESE 9 | — | SE 18 |
64 | 33 | 32 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | — | — | 3 | 11 | 92 | 11 | — | 566 | 617 | 8 | 740 | — | 13 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | E 18 | — | — |
— | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | N 10 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 2 | — | — | — | SE 2 | — | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
— | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 8 | 91 | 167 | 237 | 309 | 126 | 389 | 521 | 1024 | 1124 | 705 | 1354 | 1168 | 1455 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 17 | 149 | 17 | 160 | 326 | 415 | 288 | 28 | 22 | 68 | 348 | 166 | 585 | 166 | 166 | 288 | 166 | 28 | 166 | 166 |
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.











