
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 1,998 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period with SSE 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 17) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore 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 Thursday (Sep 17) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The Spit is the only break on the cards for this whole run, and truth be told, it’s a bit of a sad story for us surfers. There’s a real gap at the start with nothing worth paddling out for, and the ocean just doesn’t want to cooperate for the most part. We’ve got a long stretch of small, junky, onshore slop that’ll have you checking the cam and then walking back to the car.
The first decent look at something with a pulse is Thursday the 17th in the morning. There’s a push of swell, with a solid 10ft of south-southeast windswell, but it’s coming with a moderate cross-shore breeze and a lumpy cross-chop. The energy is moderate at 2436, but for The Spit, this is way too much. It’s a river mouth, and that size just closes out and jacks all over the place. It’s one for the experts only, and honestly, it’s not even that clean. The afternoon drops back down to 5ft and gets messy again.
After that, it’s a whole lot of nothing. From the 18th right through to the 24th, we’re looking at tiny, weak surf. The swell drops below 4ft, the periods are short and crumbly, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, chopping up anything that tries to form. There’s a tiny window on the 19th in the morning with a light cross-offshore breeze from the northwest, and the swell is a clean but tiny 2ft from the southeast. It’s surfable, but it’s really just ankle-to-knee slop. The energy is weak, a mere 107, and it’s not going to be worth getting wet for unless you’re desperate.
The second week is bleak. From the 25th all the way through to the 1st of October, the surf stays small and poor. The swell is consistently under 3ft, with periods around 7 to 8 seconds, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-on from the east. There’s no punch, no shape, and the combined energy is consistently weak, mostly under 150. It’s a long, flat, and frustrating stretch. There’s a slight bump on the 30th with 4ft of east-northeast swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds and it’s cross-on, so it’ll be lumpy and sectiony.
For the standout, you’re looking at that Thursday 17th morning, but it’s more of a “look at it from the car” situation than a “go get barreled” one. It’s the only time the size gets up, but the conditions are against it. Don’t get too hyped. This is a stretch where the river mouth just isn’t doing its thing.
The water temp is sitting at 70°F, which is right on the money for this time of year, nothing weird there.
So, bottom line: if you’re a beginner, stay home. If you're an expert and you’ve got a death wish, maybe peek at the 17th, but even then, it’s a mess. The long-range stuff is promising in terms of size, but it’s too far out and the wind forecast is rubbish. It’s a poor run for The Spit.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Wed afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Fri afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the SE by Tue morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 8 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 20 | ESE 19 | SE 18 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
297 | 850 | 1923 | 520 | 948 | 186 | 138 | 94 | 94 | 62 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 39 | 35 | 13 | 33 | 11 | 18 | 31 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 11:26PM0.97m | 12:22PM1.26m | 00:11AM0.86m | 1:19PM1.21m | 1:14AM0.78m | 2:28PM1.20m | 2:47AM0.75m | 3:40PM1.23m | 4:28AM0.80m | 4:39PM1.28m | 5:25AM0.89m | 5:25PM1.35m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:57PM0.48m | 5:30AM0.32m | 7:03PM0.55m | 6:13AM0.39m | 8:30PM0.57m | 7:11AM0.45m | 9:59PM0.53m | 8:26AM0.49m | 10:56PM0.45m | 9:42AM0.47m | 11:35PM0.37m | 10:43AM0.43m | 00:07AM0.29m | |||||||
— | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | |
5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
Feels °C | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | — | SE 10 | NE 13 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | SE 11 | NE 5 | NE 5 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
4 | — | 513 | 7 | 327 | 186 | 138 | 94 | 94 | 62 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 18 | 31 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 16 | E 12 | E 15 | E 14 | E 8 | SE 16 | NNE 3 | NNE 5 | SE 11 | SE 8 | ESE 19 | SE 18 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | NNE 5 | ENE 3 |
— | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 35 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | E 12 | E 12 | E 18 | SE 17 | E 7 | E 8 | SE 11 | E 8 | ESE 20 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 14 | SE 13 | E 8 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 39 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | NE 4 | N 4 | N 4 | NE 3 | NNE 5 | — | E 3 | — |
297 | 850 | 1923 | 520 | 948 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 33 | — | 1 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1391 | 302 | 22 | 28 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 17 | 80 | 288 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 4 | 166 | 28 | 28 |
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.










