Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s on offer for Ballina North Wall over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, it’s a tough start. We’ve got a solid period of nothing much happening before things start to look interesting, so you’ll need a bit of patience.

For the first week, honestly, there’s not a lot to get excited about. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are a write-off for any decent surf – the wind is messy, the swell’s not working with the break, and the conditions are just poor. We’re looking at a pretty bleak run right through until the middle of the month. From the 12th right through to the 19th of August, there’s barely a session worth paddling out for. The swell that does show up is short-period, often onshore or cross-shore, and the wave energy is weak to moderate at best. For a spot like Ballina North Wall, that’s a long stretch of nothing.

Then, around Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st, the swell starts to pump, but it’s a case of too much of a good thing. We’re looking at solid 10ft swell from the ESE on the 20th, with combined energy readings up around 1684 – that’s serious power. But for this advanced break, that’s just too big. The forecast notes say it’s too big for this break, and I’d agree. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s likely going to be a washing machine. The wind is light, which is a bonus, but the size is the limiting factor.

Now, here’s where it gets good. The standout session for the whole forecast period is shaping up for Monday morning, the 25th of August. That’s over two weeks away, so take it with a grain of salt, but the ingredients are there. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the East, with a very long period of 12 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, meaning shape and power. The wind will be offshore from the West at 9 mph, which will groom the wave face perfectly for this point/breakwater setup. The combined energy is a solid 1023, so there’s plenty of push. The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The Tuesday afternoon session on the 24th also looks promising – glassy conditions with a 5ft, 11-second East swell. That’s a solid secondary option if the long-range call doesn’t hold.

The water temperature is around 69°, which is just about average for this time of year – nothing unusual there. Just remember, when that big 10ft swell hits on the 20th, that’s for experts only, and even then, be careful. For the rest of us, we’re waiting for that last week of August.

Rusty.

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