Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here with the look ahead for our patch.

Right off the bat, the next week and a bit is looking pretty flat and average. We’ve got a long stretch of ordinary conditions before things potentially get very interesting. The water’s sitting at 68°, which is pretty much bang on normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real standout, and it’s a cracker, is shaping up for Wednesday, the 26th of August, in the afternoon at Ballina North Wall. We’ll see a clean 4ft swell rolling in from the ENE, with a moderate offshore breeze from the west keeping things tidy. The combined swell energy is moderate (277), and while the period is a short 7 seconds, that offshore wind is going to make it look way better than the numbers suggest. It’s a consistent break, so there’ll be waves to be had, and it’s an exposed point, so it’ll grab what’s around. This is the best window in the first week.

After that, we go back into a bit of a lull with small, messy waves right through to the end of August. The swell stays tiny, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-shore, so it’s a bit of a waiting game.

Then, hold onto your boards, because the forecast really lights up for the start of September. On Tuesday, the 1st of September, we see a massive jump in size. The swell pumps up to 8ft from the SSE, with a very long 14-second period, bringing in a huge amount of energy (2825). The wind is onshore, but the size and power are undeniable. However, at 8ft, this is pushing into expert-only territory, especially for a point/breakwater setup. The long period groundswell might also make it a bit fat and straight at the wall, but for the skilled crew, this is a serious session.

The size keeps building into Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September, with 10ft chunks of SSE groundswell. The energy readings are massive (over 2500), and the period stays long. On Thursday the 3rd, the morning session looks glassy with no wind, but the swell is 10ft. That’s proper big-wave territory, only for those with the nerve and skill. The rest of the week stays big, but the winds get messy.

So, to sum it up: the first half is a poor run, with a brief, clean, fun session on the afternoon of the 26th. The real story, though, is the massive, long-period groundswell arriving on the 1st of September and lasting into the new week. That’s the one to circle, but it’s one for the experienced crew only.

Rusty.

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