
Surf Forecasts:
Bar Beach surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, SE swell with 785 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bar Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Bar Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bar Beach in the next 16 days are 1.6m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bar Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it.
First, the good news: we’ve got some surf on the horizon. The bad news? There’s a dry spell to start, so don’t bother paddling out for the next few days. The first real shot of anything rideable shows up later this week.
Let’s start with the standout window. Sunday morning, August 2nd at Bar Beach is the pick of the first week. The swell will be a clean 5 ft from the SSE, but what makes it special is the period – 13 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, packing some serious punch. The combined swell energy is a hefty 905 (moderate-strong), and with a light NNW cross-off breeze, it’ll be clean as a whistle. This is the best we’re looking at for a while. The water temp sits at 64°, which is about 1° cooler than average for this time of year – nothing too out of the ordinary, pretty standard.
Friday morning, July 31st – we’ve got 7 ft of S swell, but it’s a cross-shore mess with a 12 mph SSW breeze. The energy is high (1423), but the conditions are marginal. Surfable, but not fun. This one’s more of a grinder than a gem.
Saturday morning, August 1st brings a drop to 5 ft from the SSE, period at 9 seconds, and a light WSW cross-off. The combined energy is 404 (moderate). It’s clean, but the swell is a little weak and short-period – okay for a beginner cruise.
Then we hit that Sunday window I mentioned. After that, the surf tapers off fast. Monday, August 3rd is small (4 ft, SE, 11s, 272 energy) and clean, but nothing to write home about.
There’s a real lull from Tuesday, August 4th through to Thursday, August 7th – mostly flat, weak energy (down to 25-245), with only small, ordinary waves at best. Not worth the wetsuit.
We get a tiny bump around Friday, August 8th and Saturday, August 9th – 3 ft at best, 8 second period, energy around 111-139. Clean, but barely surfable. It’s a waiting game.
Now, here’s the curveball. Look ahead to Saturday morning, August 15th. The models are showing a massive 16 ft SSE swell with a 11-second period. The combined energy is absolutely cooking at 5543 (very strong). The wind is light and offshore from the NNW, so it would be clean. But – and this is a big but – that’s way too big for Bar Beach. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s sketchy. Keep an eye on it, but don’t get your hopes up unless you’ve got a lot of experience and a big board.
So, the honest take: Sunday, August 2nd is your best bet for clean, decent waves. After that, it’s mostly small and average until that big, dangerous swell mid-month.
Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
867 | 725 | 495 | 400 | 351 | 280 | 725 | 549 | 542 | 258 | 191 | 53 | 15 | 9 | 35 | 255 | 526 | 356 | 276 | 263 | 227 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:21PM1.70m | 10:05AM1.34m | 9:59PM1.64m | 10:41AM1.36m | 10:37PM1.56m | 11:20AM1.38m | 11:20PM1.46m | 12:03PM1.40m | 00:08AM1.34m | 12:54PM1.43m | 1:05AM1.22m | 1:53PM1.46m | 2:17AM1.12m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:02PM0.43m | 3:59AM0.19m | 3:43PM0.42m | 4:33AM0.21m | 4:27PM0.43m | 5:07AM0.25m | 5:14PM0.45m | 5:44AM0.30m | 6:09PM0.48m | 6:25AM0.36m | 7:14PM0.50m | 7:13AM0.42m | 8:30PM0.51m | ||||||||
6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 |
552 | 527 | 495 | 400 | 351 | 280 | 725 | 549 | 542 | 258 | 191 | 53 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 255 | 526 | 356 | 276 | 263 | 227 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 7 | NE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SE 13 | SE 15 | SE 14 | S 21 | S 21 | S 20 | ESE 8 | SE 10 | ESE 7 | S 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 |
1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 183 | 174 | 221 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 35 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 18 | E 17 | S 21 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | S 19 | SSW 6 | SSE 10 | E 8 | E 10 | E 18 | E 8 | E 12 | E 12 | E 16 |
3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NNW 2 | W 3 | NW 3 | W 2 | — | W 2 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
867 | 725 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 176 | 45 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Bar Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bar Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bar Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bar Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Bar Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Bar Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Newcastle? If you are looking for accommodation near Bar Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Newcastle, consider staying in Newcastle which is 2 km (1 miles) away. Other places in and around Newcastle where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Catherine Hill Bay which is 29 km (18 miles) away, Port Stephens, Cessnock and Central Coast.











