
Surf Forecasts:
The Spit surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with 1,611 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s is also forecast. 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 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 10PM. 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+) | 4AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Spit over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here.
Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a paddle. We’ve got a long flat spell on the cards for The Spit, and I’m not just talking a day or two. We’re looking at a solid run of poor surf that stretches all the way from this Tuesday morning right through to the end of the forecast period on the 23rd of September. There are no real standouts in the mix, so if you’re desperate for a wave, you’re going to have to be patient and pick your moments, because they’ll be few and far between.
The one tiny glimmer in the first week is on Wednesday the 9th. The early session looks like it could be your best bet. We’ve got a clean, glassy morning with the wind swinging light offshore from the ESE. The swell is small, around 2ft from the SE with a period of 9 seconds, and the energy is weak at 95. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the only time the ocean looks like it’s actually trying to cooperate. The water temp here is sitting at about 70°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. But that’s the peak of it, I’m afraid.
After that, the wind swings around and messes everything up. From Thursday the 10th through the weekend, we see a bump in swell – it gets up to around 6ft – but it’s all over the shop. The wind is howling from the south and southeast, creating a messy, lumpy cross-chop. The energy picks up too, hitting moderate readings of 514 and 677 on Thursday, but it’s useless for us. This isn’t a paddle-surfing setup; with that much wind and a short-period swell, it’s looking a lot more interesting for the kite crowd than for anyone on a surfboard.
The following week, starting Monday the 15th, the swell drops right back down to knee-high dribble. We get another clean window on Tuesday morning the 15th, with a light offshore NNE breeze and glassy conditions on 2ft from the ENE, but the periods are short and the energy is nearly non-existent at 48. It’s surfable in the loosest sense, but you’ll be fighting for scraps. After that, it’s just a long grind of onshore wind and poor conditions. There’s a brief moment on Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th when the wind goes offshore or cross-off, but the swell is still tiny and the energy readings are down in the weak 30s and 40s. Not worth getting excited about.
So, honestly, the long-range picture is bleak. There are no big swells on the horizon, and the wind just refuses to play nice. For a spot like The Spit that’s consistent, this kind of blank run is unusual, and I wouldn't be surprised if the models shift a bit by the time we get there. But as it stands, if you want a wave, you best be up at dawn on the 9th, and maybe again on the 15th. That’s about all there is.
Stay patient,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the S by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Fri morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SSE 4 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
64 | 52 | 112 | 79 | 58 | 78 | 505 | 673 | 430 | 423 | 318 | 215 | 237 | 206 | 99 | 275 | 123 | 64 | 46 | 44 | 47 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 6:25PM1.63m | 6:54AM1.16m | 7:12PM1.65m | 7:37AM1.27m | 7:53PM1.64m | 8:17AM1.34m | 8:32PM1.57m | 8:56AM1.39m | 9:08PM1.48m | 9:34AM1.41m | 9:43PM1.36m | 10:12AM1.40m | 10:16PM1.23m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:41AM0.26m | 1:00AM0.19m | 12:37PM0.18m | 1:39AM0.13m | 1:26PM0.13m | 2:14AM0.09m | 2:11PM0.11m | 2:48AM0.09m | 2:54PM0.14m | 3:20AM0.10m | 3:37PM0.20m | 3:51AM0.14m | 4:20PM0.29m | ||||||||
5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | |
— | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | SE 11 | E 14 | E 14 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | SE 11 | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 |
9 | 9 | 112 | 79 | 58 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 40 | 4 | 4 | 99 | 110 | 5 | 64 | 46 | 44 | 47 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 12 | E 15 | — | SE 23 | — | S 21 | E 14 | — | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 13 | E 10 | SE 10 | NE 8 | SE 10 |
16 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 4 | — | 21 | — | 9 | 4 | — | 4 | 19 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ESE 11 | NE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 14 | E 14 | E 13 | SE 19 | SE 11 | E 10 | SE 10 | E 10 |
— | 1 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 4 | S 3 | — | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | SE 7 | ESE 6 | — | — | — | — |
64 | 52 | 1 | — | — | 78 | 505 | 673 | 430 | 423 | 318 | 215 | 237 | 206 | — | 275 | 123 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 149 | 22 | 348 | 348 | 22 | 22 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 28 | 28 | 0 |
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.










