Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the goods on what’s comin’ for Ballina North Wall. This is a solid point and breakwater setup that needs a specific swell window to really fire, and we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, we’re kickin’ off with a bit of a slow start. The surf is there on Sunday 30 August, but it’s a tough one—6 ft from the SSE with a 10-second period, and that south wind is blowin’ at 12 mph (cross-shore) with a cross-chop showin’ up. The combined energy is pumpin’ at 631 (moderate wave energy), but the conditions are messy—it’s more of a wrestle than a glide. Sunday afternoon drops off to 5 ft with a 9-second period, energy at 475, and still cross-shore wind. Not worth paddlin’ out, honestly.

Monday 31 August starts with a bit of hope: 4 ft from the SSE, 8-second period, but the wind swings to SSW at 12 mph, givin’ us a cross-offshore breeze. The energy is 351 (moderate), and the water is clean—this is a window for a paddle if you’re an advanced local who knows the tide. Afternoon turns dodgy again with cross-on wind.

Now, Tuesday 1 September is the real standout in the first week. That morning, it’s a rare treat: 3 ft from the SSE, but with a 11-second period (longer period groundswell), and the wind is dead glass—SW at 0 mph. Energy is 286 (moderate), and the water is glassy. For a point/breakwater, that long-period swell is a dream—it’ll wrap in clean, give you proper shape, and the gaps between sets will make paddlin’ back out easy. This is your best bet, no question. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothin’ wild.

After that, it fades out fast. Wednesday 2 September to Friday 4 September sees tiny waves—1 ft to 2 ft—with light winds, but not enough energy to get excited about. Saturday 5 September has a weird spike: 5 ft from the NNE, but only a 6-second period, energy at 188 (moderate), and the wind is cross-offshore. It’s clean, but that short period is ugly—won’t hold up well on a wall.

Lookin’ further out, the second week is a real snoozer. The surf drops to 0.7 ft to 1 ft for most of the time, with poor conditions and tiny energy. There’s a spike on Thursday 10 September afternoon: 7 ft from the SSE with an 11-second period, energy at 1136 (strong wave energy), but the wind is cross-on at 12 mph, and the note says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. For a wall, that size is only for experts, and the onshore wind will make it lumpy. Not a recommend for the average surfer—maybe kite surfers would have a play.

Honestly, the whole run has a big gap from the 2nd of September onward with no real standout sessions. The only one worth settin’ your alarm for is Tuesday 1 September morning—that’s the clean, glassy window with decent groundswell energy. After that, it’s a long wait until the 10th, but that’s a big, messy swell for experts only. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, I’d paddle out Tuesday and call it a win.

Rusty.

Read more