Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight about Ballina North Wall for this stretch. It’s a point and breakwater setup that handles a fair bit of energy, but the 16-day window is mostly a grind of small, onshore junk. No true standouts to shout about, and there are big gaps where you wouldn’t bother paddling out. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year, nothing wild.

Kicking off on Tuesday the 25th of August, it’s small at 3ft from the ENE, short 8-second period, with a 10 km/h cross-shore NNE breeze. The combined energy is weak (117), and it’s messy with wind ripples – a poor session. That afternoon the wind picks up to 15 mph, making it worse. Wednesday the 26th morning offers a clean-up with a light NW cross-offshore breeze and 3ft ENE swell at 8 seconds, but it’s still small and ordinary, energy barely moving (116). That afternoon a t-storm rolls in with a cross-shore breeze, killing it again.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are more of the same: small 3–3ft ENE swell, moderate onshore or cross winds, poor conditions. Friday the 28th morning has a clean window with a light SSW breeze – surfable but nothing to write home about. The weekend gets a pulse: Saturday the 29th afternoon sees a jump to 5ft from the SSE with a 10-second period, but the S wind is 22 mph, ripping across the surface, energy moderate (512). It’s lumpy and poor. Sunday the 30th keeps 5–6ft SSE swell but with cross-onshore winds (12–15 mph) – choppy and no good.

Monday the 31st drops back to tiny 3ft junk. Then we hit the best day in the whole window: Tuesday the 1st of September morning. Glassy calm with a 2ft SSE groundswell running a very long 17-second period. The energy is moderate (445), and with zero wind it’ll look clean. But it’s small – only for a longboard or a quiet paddle. That afternoon the NE breeze chops it up.

After that, Wednesday the 2nd to Monday the 7th stays small, mostly in the 2–3ft range with cross or onshore winds and poor to ordinary conditions. The morning of Thursday the 3rd has a light cross-off breeze – clean but tiny. By Tuesday the 8th of September morning we get another glassy calm window, a 2ft SSE groundswell at 14 seconds, energy moderate (183) – long period but very small. Wednesday the 9th finishes with a 2ft cross-shore mess.

The only half-decent wave here is that Tuesday 1st September glassy morning, but it’s a groundswell on a beachy setup – those long 17-second lines will be peeling straight and fat, better for a point break. Still, if you’ve got a log and want it to yourself, that’s the pick. All other days are a write-off. Crowds are only “sometimes” an issue, but honestly, on a session like that, you’ll be nearly alone.

Rusty.

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