Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, but this time in feet and miles. Let's talk about what's on the menu.

We are starting off slow. Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are barely a ripple at Ballina North Wall. Tiny, choppy junk. Not worth the walk.

Wednesday the 9th morning is when we finally get something to look at. A clean 5ft swell from the SSE with glassy conditions from a light SW breeze. The water temp is about 69°F, which is standard for this time of year. The wave energy is moderate, and while the period is only 9 seconds, that glassy surface will make it a fun, user-friendly wave. This is the best session early on, but get out before lunch—the wind swings onshore and spoils it.

Then it gets heavy. Thursday the 10th through Friday the 11th, we see a massive pulse of SSE swell pushing 10ft to 12ft. The energy is huge, but this spot is an advanced wave on a good day. At that size, the North Wall will be a washing machine for most of us. Strong cross-shore winds in the 15–18 mph range will make it messy. Honestly, this is better suited for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The swell backs off over the weekend of the 12th and 13th, but the wind stays cross-onshore or messy, leaving the waves bumpy and hard to read. A skip.

Now, a real beauty shows up on Thursday the 17th morning. A clean 3ft SSE groundswell with a long 11-second period, and a light, clean cross-offshore breeze from the WSW. This will be clean, lined-up, and a joy to ride. If you can get out, this is the pick of the second week.

But the monster on the chart is Friday the 18th morning. A huge 13ft SSE swell with a very long 14-second period. The energy is off the charts, and a crisp offshore breeze would be perfect—but it is just too big for this break. Only absolute experts need apply. Same for Saturday the 19th morning: 8ft from the SSE with a 12-second period and glassy winds—still too heavy for most.

The real standout of the whole outlook is Sunday the 20th morning. The swell drops to a manageable 5ft from the SSE, period is a solid 11 seconds, and we get glassy conditions with a light breeze. The wave quality will be excellent. This is the session to circle on your calendar. Get there early—crowds are sometimes a thing here.

After that, the swell fades out into small, average waves for the last few days.

So, the best windows: Wednesday the 9th morning for a clean, fun wave, and Sunday the 20th morning for the best quality swell of the whole 16 days. Thursday the 17th morning is a great sneaky clean session too. The big days are for the brave or the kite crew.

Rusty.

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