Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for us at Ballina North Wall.

Right off the bat, it’s a bit of a flat, quiet start for a few days. There’s surfable waves from the get-go, but honestly, nothing to write home about. The water temp is sitting at a pretty standard 68°, no surprises there, feels about average for this time of year.

Saturday 22nd afternoon sees a small 3 ft ENE swell with a short 7-second period. The combined energy is weak, only 78. We get a cross-offshore breeze, so it’s clean, but it’s tiny and weak. Not worth paddling out for.

Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th are poor. Sunday has messy cross-shore winds and Monday goes onshore. There’s a tiny spike of longer period SSE groundswell on Monday morning, 2 ft at 12 seconds (moderate energy of 149), and the wind is offshore from the WSW, so it’s clean. But at a foot and a half, you’re just scratching for anything rideable.

Tuesday 25th through to Thursday 27th sees the swell bump up a bit, hitting 4 ft to 5 ft from the ENE, but the period stays short at 8 seconds. The wind is junk – cross, cross-on, or just messy. Combined energy gets up to 285 on Thursday morning, which is moderate, but the conditions are poor. Not worth your time.

Friday 28th morning is a little tease. We get glassy conditions with a light SSW wind, and a clean 3 ft ENE swell (128 energy). It’s surfable, but ordinary. Friday afternoon goes onshore again.

Then we hit a proper dry spell. Saturday 29th through to Sunday 30th is all cross-shore winds and choppy junk, with the swell dropping back under 3 ft. Energy stays moderate at best.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is the start of the second week.

Monday 31st August is the one to circle. The morning brings a solid 6 ft SSE swell (short period, 8 seconds) with a light WSW cross-offshore breeze, making it clean. Combined energy jumps right up to 424, that’s strong. The afternoon cleans up even more, going glassy with a 4 ft SSE swell and energy of 428. The wind goes light from the SE, glassy as anything. That’s the best session on offer – clean, punchy, and that SSE direction lines up nicely for the wall. This spot is consistent and exposed to that ENE direction, but the SSE will wrap in well. Just be aware, the crowds here can be a thing sometimes.

Tuesday 1st September morning still has some fun potential. A 3 ft E swell with a longer 10-second period (energy of 299), clean under a N cross-off. The energy is still strong, but the size is backing off. The afternoon gets blown out by a strong NNE cross-on.

After that, it fades out again. Wednesday 2nd has a tiny 2 ft clean wave under offshore W wind, but it’s barely a ripple. From Thursday 3rd through to the end of the period, it’s all under 2 ft with cross and onshore winds. Weak energy, small waves, and messy. Not worth a second look.

So, bottom line: the first week is mostly a write-off. Save your energy for Monday 31st August – that’s the clear winner. Clean, solid chest-to-head high waves with good energy. The glassy afternoon session is the real standout.

Rusty.

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