Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, SSE swell with 378 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 1.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mate, Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The Spit's been dealt a pretty ordinary hand for the next 16 days. We're looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf, with only a couple of fleeting moments where it might be worth a paddle.
The water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing to complain about on that front.
Let's start from the beginning. Thursday the 27th is a non-starter. We've got a 5ft swell from the SSE, but it's short period at 7 seconds and the wind is a cross-on 12 mph, making it choppy. The wave energy is weak (272), and it's just poor surf. Thursday afternoon is even worse, dropping to 3ft and getting lumpy in a 19 mph cross-on breeze.
Friday the 28th morning is the first real glimmer. The swell has dropped to 2ft from the east, but the wind goes glassy – just a 3 mph ESE breeze. The wave energy is super low (95), but those tiny clean waves are surfable if you're a beginner. Friday afternoon the wind swings onshore, ruining it.
Then we hit a massive dry spell. From Saturday the 29th all the way through to Tuesday the 10th of September, the surf is consistently poor. The swell is tiny, rarely cracking 2ft, with short periods and weak energy (mostly under 100). The wind is almost always cross-on or cross-shore, chopping it up. It's a proper drought.
There is one tiny tease on Wednesday the 2nd of September morning. A clean 2ft easterly groundswell (10-second period) with a light cross-offshore NW wind at 9 mph. The wave energy is very low (61), and it's only "surfable but ordinary," but for a longboard or a foiler, it might be a fun little session. That's the absolute best we've got, and it's not saying much.
After that, it's back to the same story – small, weak, and messy right through to the 11th of September. There's no standout period, no proper swell, and no good winds aligning. The Spit is a river break that needs a decent swell from the east, and we just aren't getting it.
Look, it's a bleak run, but the Spit can be consistent, so this isn't the norm. The only real window for a paddle is that Friday the 28th morning for the clean tiny waves, or the Wednesday the 2nd morning for a slightly better but still small groundswell. For everyone else, maybe give the kite a rest too – the wind is mostly cross-shore, not ideal for that either.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SSE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 11 | E 8 | ESE 9 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
96 | 335 | 55 | 45 | 43 | 69 | 99 | 38 | 82 | 82 | 177 | 43 | 104 | 178 | 107 | 50 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 45 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:50PM1.57m | 8:13AM1.20m | 8:23PM1.58m | 8:46AM1.27m | 8:56PM1.56m | 9:20AM1.33m | 9:31PM1.51m | 9:58AM1.38m | 10:07PM1.42m | 10:39AM1.40m | 10:47PM1.30m | 11:27AM1.41m | 11:32PM1.17m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:16AM0.15m | 1:55PM0.18m | 2:45AM0.13m | 2:33PM0.17m | 3:15AM0.13m | 3:13PM0.19m | 3:45AM0.14m | 3:56PM0.23m | 4:19AM0.17m | 4:44PM0.31m | 4:56AM0.22m | 5:42PM0.40m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 10 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | SE 6 | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | NNE 5 |
68 | 78 | 55 | 45 | 34 | 69 | 26 | 35 | 37 | 42 | 33 | 24 | 22 | 14 | 21 | 50 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 14 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 10 | ESE 5 | SE 10 | NE 6 | SE 10 | SE 10 | E 15 | ENE 9 | SE 9 | SE 17 | ENE 11 | E 10 | SE 11 | ENE 5 | ENE 4 | SSE 11 | E 10 |
3 | 69 | 24 | 10 | 11 | 27 | 2 | 16 | 24 | 4 | 26 | 20 | 12 | 38 | 52 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 45 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 12 | SE 10 | ESE 13 | SE 11 | NE 7 | — | N 6 | E 15 | — | SE 10 | NE 13 | NE 13 | SE 7 | SE 16 | SE 16 | SE 6 | SSE 11 | NE 11 | SSE 10 |
— | 3 | 16 | 18 | 43 | 2 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 15 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SSE 8 | — | SE 6 | — | — | ESE 9 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 5 | ENE 5 | NW 2 | NE 4 | NW 4 |
96 | 335 | — | 19 | — | — | 99 | 38 | 82 | 82 | 177 | 43 | 104 | 178 | 107 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 16 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 14 | 0 | 28 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 22 | 143 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 4 |
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.











