Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s on the table for Ballina.

The pattern over the next few weeks is a big, powerful start that’s way too much for this spot, followed by a long, slow drop into flatness, and then a flicker of life right at the end. This is a break that needs a very specific size window, and most of the coming days are either too big or too small.

We start on Tuesday the 7th of July, and straight up, we’ve got a serious pulse of energy. Ballina North Wall (point/breakwater) is seeing a 12 ft SSE groundswell with an 11-second period. The combined swell energy is absolutely cranking at (2562), but that’s the problem – it’s simply too much for this spot. The wind is a moderate cross-shore from the south at 15 mph, which isn't helping. This is expert territory only, and even then, it’s going to be a beast.

Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th stay in the same oversized range, with south to south-east swells holding between 8 ft and 12 ft. There’s a brief window on Thursday morning with a cleaner cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is still 8 ft – it’s big and powerful. The combined energy remains very strong, staying above 2500 for most of these sessions. Beginners should stay clear.

Friday the 10th sees the swell finally begin to drop, but at 7-7 ft from the SSE, it’s still a solid, powerful wave. The Friday morning session has a clean cross-off wind from the SSW at 12 mph, so the face will be smooth, but it’s still a heavy paddle for anyone below an advanced level.

Now, here’s where things change. Saturday the 11th of July morning is the standout of the entire forecast. The swell eases to a much more manageable 5 ft from the SSE, still with a decent 10-second period. The wind goes light and clean from the WSW at 6 mph – cross-offshore and clean. The combined energy (568) is moderate but punchy. The forecast says "very good surf conditions," and for this break, that’s the sweet spot. It’s not too big, it’s clean, and it should offer some proper waves for the crew who know the place. Keep in mind this is an advanced wave and the spot is a point/breakwater, so expect some crowd factor as it’s "sometimes" busy.

After that, we hit a long, slow fade. Sunday the 12th has a cleaner, smaller 4 ft SE swell with offshore wind, but the energy drops off (268). By Monday the 13th, waves are down to 2 ft, and from Tuesday the 14th right through to Sunday the 19th, the run is flat or near-flat. For over a week, the swell drops to tiny 0.7 ft to 1 ft junk with very low energy readings (down to 7). It’s a classic blank run for the area, nothing for a surfer to get excited about.

The only glimmer in that flat spell is Sunday afternoon the 19th of July. A tiny 3 ft SSE groundswell rolls in with a solid 11-second period, and the wind goes glassy from the NE at 3 mph. The combined energy (222) is weak, but the glassy conditions could make it look pretty. It’s a long-shot, small-wave session for a log.

Finally, there’s another pulse right at the end of the window. On Wednesday the 22nd of July, a new 7 ft SSE groundswell arrives with moderate energy (975) and clean offshore wind from the SW. But just like the start, 7 ft is too big for Ballina North Wall for a good session. By the afternoon, onshore wind and a 6 ft swell keep it marginal.

There’s no question: Saturday the 11th of July morning is the pick of the bunch. Clean conditions, solid size, and the best balance of power and management.

Rusty

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