Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Ballina North Wall (point/breakwater).

The water’s sitting at 69°, which is pretty much bang on what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing weird there.

The start of the run is a bit of a non-event. We’ve got some small, weak energy through the end of July and into the start of August, with combined energy values barely cracking 100 (21) some days, and the swell is tiny. You’ll see a few clean mornings with light offshore winds, but the swell is just too small – 0.7 ft to 3 ft – to get excited about. It’s a solid gap of poor to marginal conditions from the 26th of July right through to the 1st of August.

Now, the first real sign of life shows up on Saturday the 1st of August. The morning brings a clean 6 ft SSE swell with a 10-second period and a light cross-offshore wind. The combined energy jumps to 786 (moderate), which is a decent kick. The surf is on the bigger side of intermediate, but not quite into expert-only territory. The afternoon gets a bit chop with a southerly breeze, so the morning is the pick.

The standout window is definitely Sunday the 2nd of August into Monday the 3rd of August. On Sunday morning, we’ve got a clean 6 ft SSE swell, 10-second period, and light cross-offshore wind. The energy is 790 (moderate). The Monday morning is even better: 6 ft SE swell, 11-second period (that longer period means more energy and better shaped waves), and clean, light offshore wind from the SW. The energy is 799 (moderate). That longer period and the swell direction matching the optimum ENE pretty closely for this break means the point should be set up well. The water is still clean. This is the best on offer. Get in the water Sunday morning or Monday morning before the sea breeze gets messy.

It’s worth noting that Ballina North Wall is an advanced spot, and it’s known to break consistently. The crowds can be around sometimes, but with the quality on offer, it’ll be worth sharing the lineup.

The rest of the first week of August drops off. Tuesday the 4th still has a clean morning with a 3 ft ESE swell, 11-second period, but the energy drops to 417 (moderate). By Wednesday and Thursday the 5th and 6th, the swell is tiny again and the wind gets stronger, so it’s back to poor.

The second week is a washout. From Friday the 7th of August through to the 10th, the swell is tiny, the wind is howling out of the south, and the energy is weak. On the 10th of August, the swell jumps up to 8 ft SE with 11-second period, but it’s accompanied by a strong onshore wind and the energy is a massive 1973 (strong to very strong). That’s just too big and messy for this break – it’s a no-go for paddle surfing. That setup might be more interesting for the kite crew.

So, to sum it up: the first weekend of August, especially Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd, is your best bet. Clean, decent-sized swell with good period. The rest is a bit of a write-off. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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