Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer around Ballina North Wall over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so nothing to worry about there.

The early part of the outlook is pretty grim. Sunday and Monday are a write-off with tiny, short-period wind slop and onshore breezes. Tuesday’s no better either. We’re looking at a stretch of disappointing conditions until the middle of the week.

Then, Wednesday morning, the 9th of September, things get interesting. The wind goes glassy, and we’ve got a solid 7ft SSE groundswell rolling in with a 10-second period. The combined energy reading is 779, which is a solid, moderate punch. That’s clean, lined-up surf for the experienced crew at the North Wall point/breakwater. It’s an exposed spot, so it’ll handle that SSE direction well. Crowds are possible here, so pick your peak.

Thursday the 10th is a different story – the swell jumps to 10ft to 12ft. That’s way too big for this break, and the wind is cranking. Only for the absolute experts, and even then, it’s borderline. The energy readings are through the roof (1552 and 1326), but it’s more of a spectacle than a session.

Friday the 11th morning sees a drop to a clean 4ft SSE swell with a very long period of 14 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy (922 energy). The wind is cross-offshore, so the wall should offer some clean, peeling lines. But the tide conditions might be a bit tricky. It’s a standout for the confident surfer. The afternoon gets bigger and lumpier, so stick to the morning.

Saturday the 12th has a 8ft SSE swell, but it’s a short-period 7 seconds in the morning, making it fat and choppy. The energy is moderate (523) but the quality isn’t there for the wall.

Now, Sunday the 13th morning – this is the pick of the entire forecast. Glassy conditions, 3ft of SSE swell, but the period is a whopping 19 seconds. That’s exceptionally long period groundswell. The energy is still high at 1109. For a point/breakwater like Ballina North Wall, that long period will wrap in beautifully, offering long, clean, powerful lines. This is for experienced surfers only, and it could be truly special. The afternoon gets chopped by a NE wind, so get in early.

The following week drops off. Monday 14th morning is marginal with a 4ft SSE swell (11 secs, 403 energy) and a light cross-shore ripple. The rest of the week is plagued by strong onshore winds and small, messy waves until Wednesday the 16th morning, which offers another glassy window with 3ft SSE swell (11 secs, 441 energy) – a brief, clean moment but not a standout.

The weekend of the 19th-20th sees a pulse of N/NNE swell, with the 20th of September offering the best of it: Sunday morning and afternoon with clean, cross-off NW winds, 4ft to 5ft of N/NNE swell. The energy is moderate (292-351), but the conditions are clean. It’s a fun, small-wave option for the more forgiving days.

So, the true standouts are Wednesday morning the 9th for the clean, 7ft SSE swell, and Sunday morning the 13th of September for the incredibly long-period, glassy perfection. The 13th is the one to circle.

Rusty.

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