Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for Ballina North Wall over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got one bright spot to kick things off, then a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions. The water temperature is sitting at 68°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

The standout is the very start of the period. Monday morning, August 3rd, is where it’s at. We’re looking at a 6ft swell rolling in from the SE with a solid 11-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, packing a decent amount of energy (726). The wind is a light 3 mph westerly, which is offshore for this spot, so you’re getting clean, glassy conditions. This is a wave for the experienced crew though – it’s an advanced break, and with that size, it’s not a beginner’s wave. The swell direction is out of the southeast, which is not quite the optimum ENE, but with that quality of wind and that size, it’s still the best window we have. Expect crowds sometimes, but it’ll be worth it for the early session.

After that morning, it’s a bit of a letdown. The afternoon of the 3rd turns onshore with a NE breeze, and the surf drops right off. From Tuesday the 4th through to the 17th, the surf is mostly small, weak, and chopped up. There are a few clean mornings early on with light offshore winds, like the 5th (3ft, WSW wind) and the 7th (3ft, SSW wind), but the swell is short-period and weak – mostly under 200 in energy. It’s surfable if you’re desperate for a paddle, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

There’s a potential glimmer on Tuesday morning, August 18th. The wind goes glassy, and we’ve got a 3ft E swell with a 10-second period, carrying 266 in energy. That’s clean and looks promising for a fun, small-wave session. But it’s a long way out, so keep one eye on the forecast.

A couple of dates to be wary of: Saturday, August 15th sees a jump in size to 7ft, but it’s messy with an onshore cross-wind, and Sunday, August 16th has a 5ft swell with a howling 22 mph southerly. That combo is just a windy, lumpy mess.

Overall, the North Wall has a narrow window of quality. Lock in that Monday morning if you can, and maybe keep an eye on the 18th for a glassy cleanup. The rest of the time, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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