Surf Forecasts:
Bar Beach surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 11 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, S swell with 361 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period with S 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bar Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.
To be honest, the first week is a bit of a grind. We’ve got tiny waves and a lot of days where the conditions just don’t line up. From Wednesday the 5th right through to the end of the first week, it’s mostly knee-high dribble with poor surf quality. The energy is weak, with figures like 42 (all swells combined) for the Wednesday morning, and it doesn’t get much better. You’ll see a few mornings with glassy conditions, like Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning, but the swell is only 1.3ft to 2.0ft. It’s surfable if you’re desperate, but it’s not going to get the heart pumping. There’s a bit of a bump on Sunday the 9th afternoon with 3.6ft from the ENE, but it’s a messy cross-shore wind and the energy is only moderate (249). For a beginner-friendly spot like Bar Beach, it’s just ordinary.
The real standout in this whole 16-day run is Friday the 14th of August. That morning we’ve got a solid 3.6ft swell from the south, with a 11-second period – that’s a proper groundswell, with good shape and energy. The combined energy hits 359, which is moderate to strong, and the wind is a gentle offshore from the NW. That means clean, peeling waves. It’s also a beginner-friendly break, so it’s a good one for everyone. The afternoon goes glassy, with 3.3ft from the south, and it’s still got good energy (238). That’s easily the best two sessions of the whole period. Crowds are possible here, but with conditions that good, it’ll be worth sharing.
The rest of the second week is a bit of a letdown. Saturday the 15th morning is okay, with 3.0ft from the SSE and cleanish conditions, but by the afternoon the wind turns onshore and it gets choppy. From Sunday the 16th through to Thursday the 20th, it’s back to tiny, weak waves. The energy drops to double digits, and the swell is mostly 1.3ft to 2.3ft. The wind is all over the place, and there’s no real push. It’s a blank run for anyone looking for a proper wave. The water temperature is about 64.2°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
So, bottom line: if you’ve got a free day, make it Friday the 14th. That’s the pick of the bunch. The rest is a waiting game.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the WNW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 9 | SSE 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 31 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 99 | 130 | 65 | 90 | 48 | 32 | 34 | 63 | 99 | 77 | 197 | 177 | 65 | 67 | 325 | 293 | 235 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 12:54PM1.43m | 1:05AM1.22m | 1:53PM1.46m | 2:17AM1.12m | 3:00PM1.52m | 3:41AM1.07m | 4:12PM1.60m | 5:05AM1.09m | 5:19PM1.69m | 6:15AM1.16m | 6:20PM1.79m | 7:11AM1.24m | 7:13PM1.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:14PM0.50m | 7:13AM0.42m | 8:30PM0.51m | 8:12AM0.47m | 9:54PM0.46m | 9:20AM0.49m | 11:13PM0.37m | 10:32AM0.48m | 00:18AM0.26m | 11:40AM0.43m | 1:11AM0.16m | 12:41PM0.36m | 1:58AM0.10m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | E 9 | SSW 5 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 |
| kJ | 9 | 26 | 7 | 30 | 99 | 130 | 37 | 90 | 48 | 32 | 34 | 63 | 99 | 77 | 6 | 177 | 65 | 67 | 325 | 293 | 235 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | S 5 | E 8 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 10 | E 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 14 | S 9 | S 13 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 31 | 4 | 22 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 65 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 31 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 18 | 33 | 32 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 10 | SSE 12 | SSW 5 | E 16 | E 7 | E 9 | E 15 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | S 8 | S 7 | E 14 | S 6 | S 13 | S 13 | E 13 | E 13 | S 18 | — | S 16 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 17 | 9 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | — | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNW 2 | NE 3 | ENE 8 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | NW 3 | NW 3 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | 197 | 42 | 47 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 10 | 59 | 180 | 166 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Bar Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest