Bar Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Newcastle, Australia)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Information

Bar Reef Surf Guide

Bar Reef in Newcastle is an exposed reef break that only works when conditions are just right Works best in offshore winds from the northwest. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the ideal swell direction is from the southeast. There is no reef break. When the surf is up, crowds are likely Beware of - Urchins - Rips / undertow - Rocks - Localism - Sharks.

Bar Reef Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	2	inconsistent	22.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Bar Reef:

The best conditions reported for surf at Bar Reef occur when a Southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Bar Reef (for consistent clean waves)?

julyBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Bar Reef with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of July. Clean surfable waves are typically found 41% of the time in July while 39% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 20% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

41%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

39%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

20%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Bar Reef Location Map

Interactive Bar Reef surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Bar Reef Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 21:29 Local Time

m, °C	Wed		Thu
ft, °F	7PM	10PM	1AM	4AM
Wave (m)	E	E	E	E
Period (s)	10	10	10	10
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross- off	off	cross- off

What does Bar Reef look like?

Latest photos from Bar Reef. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: DANIEL MAWKES Credit: DANIEL MAWKES Credit: DANIEL MAWKES

Tides at Bar Reef

Current tide and informaton

For Newcastle, Australia, 2 km from Bar Reef.

Next High Water: 11:19pm | 1.62m

Next Low Water: 06:20am | 0.5m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Bar Reef Sea Temperature

The water temperature (22.7 °C) at Bar Reef is warm and the air temperature should feel similar (windchill forecast 19.0 °C). If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a shorty or a summer wetsuit.

Today, many surfers would wear a shorty.

Current Temp*: 22.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite