Surf Forecasts:
Arrawarra surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, ESE swell with 388 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Arrawarra this week:
The surf forecast for Arrawarra over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 17s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Arrawarra in the next 16 days are 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Arrawarra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown for our stretch of coast. It’s going to be a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, so let’s get straight into it.
The first real window of decent surf kicks off on Monday the 17th of August at Arrawarra point. We’ve got a solid run of 5 ft swell out of the southeast, with a period of 7 seconds. The wind is cross-offshore, so expect clean lines. The water’s sitting at 67°, which is spot on for this time of year—no surprises there. The combined swell energy is moderate, sitting at 533, so there’s a bit of push behind it. This is the standout of the whole period for my money. Arrawarra handles an east swell well, and the cross-off breeze is a beauty. It’ll be clean and consistent enough, but keep in mind this is an advanced break, and the crowds are often here. It’s not one for beginners today with the swell just over 5 ft.
Tuesday the 18th holds similar energy, with 5 ft swell out of the east-southeast and an 8 second period. Still cross-off winds in the morning, so the waves should be clean again, though the combined energy drops a little to 351. By the afternoon, the wind swings cross-shore and the swell drops to 4 ft, so it’s more of a so-so session. Wednesday the 19th sees the swell dip to 4 ft but the period stretches to 10 seconds in the afternoon, bumping the energy up to 433. That’s a longer period groundswell, which should wrap nicely around the point. Winds are light cross-off in the morning, but by the afternoon the cross-shore breeze will put a little wobble on the face. Still, it’s rideable.
Then we hit a flat patch. From Thursday the 20th right through to Monday the 31st of August, the size drops below 3 ft and the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore for most of it. The swell energy is weak, with numbers down in the double digits and low hundreds. There’s the occasional glassy morning on Saturday the 22nd with a tiny 2 ft swell, but the energy is a measly 45—barely a ripple. Not worth paddling out for. This stretch is pretty ordinary, with poor surf conditions dominating.
Things start to flicker back to life on Thursday the 27th of August. The morning shows a 2 ft swell with an 11 second period out of the south-southeast, and light offshore winds. That’s a clean, if small, window. But the real hopeful sign comes Thursday afternoon: the swell bumps to 3 ft from the east-northeast with a 9 second period, cross-off winds, and the energy climbs to 243. That’s your next best chance. Friday the 28th stays around the 3 ft mark, but the wind is cross-shore and the period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s nothing to get excited about.
From Saturday the 29th through to Tuesday the 1st of September, we’re back into the doldrums. Swell hangs around 3 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore nearly the whole time, with combined energy stuck below 170. It’s choppy, messy, and not worth a look.
Overall, if you’re keen, hit Monday the 17th early. That’s your best call. The rest of the 16-day run is mostly quiet, with a brief glimmer on Thursday the 27th afternoon. It’s a tough stretch, but the ocean’s always got a surprise somewhere.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
261 | 279 | 287 | 292 | 193 | 286 | 217 | 365 | 165 | 172 | 156 | 94 | 74 | 44 | 58 | 35 | 26 | 45 | 47 | 45 | 47 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | on | on | cross | cross-on | on | off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 11:06AM1.41m | 11:03PM1.41m | 11:49AM1.37m | 11:35PM1.24m | 12:39PM1.31m | 00:10AM1.08m | 1:44PM1.27m | 1:01AM0.94m | 3:13PM1.27m | 2:54AM0.84m | 4:39PM1.33m | 4:55AM0.87m | 5:39PM1.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:02PM0.40m | 5:24AM0.27m | 5:48PM0.54m | 5:56AM0.35m | 6:46PM0.67m | 6:34AM0.44m | 8:19PM0.76m | 7:28AM0.52m | 10:37PM0.74m | 8:54AM0.57m | 11:58PM0.64m | 10:24AM0.54m | 00:39AM0.54m | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | |
mm | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 12 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
261 | 279 | 287 | 292 | 193 | 286 | 217 | 365 | 165 | 172 | 156 | 94 | 74 | 44 | 58 | 35 | 26 | 45 | 47 | 45 | 47 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | S 17 | ENE 9 | S 10 | SE 9 | ESE 12 | ESE 10 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 7 | E 9 | S 12 | S 11 | SE 7 | E 9 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 8 |
25 | 5 | 16 | 44 | 70 | 107 | 115 | 39 | 24 | 11 | 10 | 43 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 17 | S 16 | S 14 | E 9 | ESE 14 | S 11 | S 15 | S 10 | E 12 | — | — | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SE 7 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | ENE 9 |
30 | 21 | 33 | 15 | 36 | 57 | 4 | 29 | 12 | — | — | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | N 3 | NE 4 | — | — | ENE 2 | — | — | — | — |
217 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 6 | 11 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 72 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 7 | 163 | 1 | 26 | 154 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Arrawarra Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Arrawarra provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Arrawarra can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Arrawarra 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 (Arrawarra) 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 Arrawarra 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.
Are you planning a holiday in North Coast - New South Wales? If you are looking for accommodation near Arrawarra, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in North Coast - New South Wales, consider staying in Coffs Harbour which is 28 km (17 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in South Grafton which is 47 km (29 miles) away











