Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Ballina North Wall over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, it's a bit of a slow burner this time. For a spot that's exposed to an east-northeasterly swell, we're seeing a lot of small, messy days before anything really gets going.

We start with not much to get excited about. The first few days are a write-off for a decent session. Friday the 28th of August kicks off with a tiny 1ft south-easterly groundswell, but it's got a cross wind mucking it up, making things pretty ordinary. The afternoon picks up a bit to 5ft, but that's cross-onshore and choppy. Saturday the 29th is cleaner in the morning with a 4ft south-south-easterly, but the swell energy is only moderate, and it's not enough to call it a good day.

Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st show some promise with clean mornings and a 6ft and 6ft south-south-easterly swell respectively. The wave state is described as clean, with a moderate cross-offshore breeze. The energy is strong, but the period is dropping (9 and 8 seconds), so it won't be the most organised. It's passable, but not a standout.

Now, here's where we get a little taste of the good stuff. Tuesday the 1st of September is the first real highlight. The morning is glassy – absolutely dead calm – with a solid 4ft south-south-easterly swell that has a beautiful 11-second period, giving it some proper push. The energy is strong. This is your window for a clean, fun session on the point. The water temp anomaly is neutral, so it's about average for the time of year. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so getting in early on a Tuesday is a good call.

Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is also clean with a cross-offshore breeze and a clean wave face, but the swell has dropped to 3ft. It's a 'fun-size' board day, but nothing special. By Thursday the 3rd, it dries right up with a tiny 2ft easterly swell that has weak energy.

We then hit a long gap with very little to recommend. From Thursday the 3rd right through to Sunday the 7th of September, it's a stretch of poor to marginal surf. There's a pulse on Friday the 4th morning with a 4ft northerly swell, but it's only got a 5-second period, meaning it's weak and disorganised. The energy is low. It just looks a bit too average. The following days are similar, with small northerly windswell and a strong cross-shore wind in the afternoons.

But hold onto your wetsuit, because Monday the 7th of September is the big one. The forecast is showing a pumping 8ft south-south-easterly swell with a long 11-second period. The combined energy is enormous. The morning wind is offshore from the south-west, promising clean conditions. Now, this is a serious groundswell. At over 8ft, this is for experts only. It's definitely bigger than the average punter wants to handle, especially on a point/breakwater setup where that long-period swell will be lining up. It's a true standout session, but you need to know what you're doing. The afternoon sees the swell drop slightly to 8ft with an onshore wind, so the morning is the only window.

After that big day, the surf settles down through Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th with manageable 5ft and 4ft south-south-easterly swells, but the winds are a bit messy with some cross-chop. The energy is moderate. The rest of the week into the second week fades into small, weak windswell again, with poor conditions dominating the afternoons.

So, my pick of the bunch: the glassy morning on Tuesday the 1st of September for a clean, fun 4ft south-south-easterly groundswell. But the real big-daddy standout is Monday the 7th of September morning, with a powerful 8ft groundswell and offshore winds – that's the one to circle on the calendar if you've got the skills. It's a long way off, so keep an eye on it, but the potential is huge.

Stay salty.
Rusty.

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