Surf Forecasts:
Clifton Beach surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 19s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 19s period, SSW swell with 1,783 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Clifton Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Clifton Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 17s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Clifton Beach in the next 16 days are 1.6m 19s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 18s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Clifton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.
Alright, mate. Rusty here. Clifton Beach is the only game in town for this forecast period, so let’s get into it. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s some real magic brewing for the second week if you’ve got the patience for it.
The water’s sitting at 53°F which is bang on average for this time of year, so no icy surprises. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, honestly. Monday afternoon the 31st of August has a glassy 4ft SSW swell with a long 18-second period, moderate energy (1469). It’s clean, but it’s a bit of a bigger, longer-period groundswell that can be a bit tricky on a beach break like this. It’s decent for the experienced crew, but not a standout for everyone.
Then we hit a dry patch. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are small and messy with cross-off winds, poor conditions. Thursday the 3rd gets blown out with strong winds. Friday the 4th looks a bit better with a moderate offshore wind in the afternoon and a 5ft SSW swell, 17-second period, and strong energy (1282). That’s a solid, clean option for the experienced surfer, but it’s still not the best of the whole run.
The weekend of the 5th and 6th is a washout, too much wind. There’s a small window on Sunday the 6th afternoon with a light breeze and a 3ft S swell, but it’s short period and weak energy (377). Not worth getting excited about.
The true standout is the week after. Monday the 7th is a write-off, but from Tuesday the 8th onwards, things start to get interesting. The morning of the 8th is cross-shore, but the afternoon sees a jump in size to 6ft SSW swell with a fantastic 18-second period and very strong energy (2396). The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean. That’s a solid, powerful wave, but at 6ft it’s getting into the territory where it’s better for the experienced lot.
Then we hit the jackpot. Wednesday the 9th of September is the pick of the bunch. The morning is clean with a light NNW breeze, 4ft SSW swell, 18-second period, and strong energy (983). But the afternoon... absolute glass, no wind, 5ft SSW swell, 18-second period, strong energy (1124). That’s as clean as it gets. Perfect conditions for a long session.
Thursday the 10th is another beauty. The morning has a light offshore wind, 5ft SSW swell, 19-second period (very long period), and strong energy (1337). That’s a world-class groundswell. The long period means it’ll wrap around nicely and offer some big, clean lines, but it might be a bit too straight for the beach break at Clifton. Still, if you’re in the right spot, it’ll be incredible for experienced surfers.
The end of the run from the 11th to the 15th of September sees a drop in size, with some clean, fun, smaller waves on the 11th, 13th, 14th, and 15th mornings. The 13th afternoon has a bigger 7ft SW swell, 17-second period, very strong energy (3085), but it’s cross-shore and marginal, so it’s a bit of a gamble.
Overall, the best windows are the afternoons of Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th of September. That’s the gold. The long-range stuff on the 8th and 13th are promising, but with that much energy and size, you’ll be picking your moment carefully.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon afternoon, strong winds from the W by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 8°C on Thu afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Thu afternoon, light winds from the NW by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | S 11 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
929 | 589 | 196 | 121 | 172 | 510 | 686 | 392 | 491 | 627 | 917 | 1061 | 1282 | 711 | 550 | 554 | 1431 | 459 | 223 | 127 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 9:22PM0.52m | 9:46AM0.59m | 10:41PM0.48m | 10:30AM0.63m | 00:06AM0.45m | 11:18AM0.67m | 1:31AM0.44m | 12:10PM0.70m | 2:48AM0.43m | 1:05PM0.72m | 3:55AM0.43m | 2:02PM0.74m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:21AM0.25m | 4:32PM0.20m | 4:01AM0.29m | 5:43PM0.15m | 4:44AM0.33m | 6:50PM0.10m | 5:32AM0.36m | 7:55PM0.06m | 6:23AM0.37m | 8:56PM0.03m | 7:18AM0.38m | 9:53PM0.02m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
5:40 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 9 |
Feels °C | 13 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | -2 | -4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 10 | S 11 | S 10 |
929 | 589 | 196 | 121 | 172 | 510 | 686 | 392 | 491 | 627 | 917 | 1061 | 1282 | 711 | 550 | 554 | 295 | 166 | 223 | 127 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 10 | — | — | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SW 14 |
540 | 52 | 34 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 459 | 154 | 50 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | — | S 20 | — | S 9 | NNE 8 | — | — | S 12 | — | — | — | — | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | — | 30 | — | 7 | 6 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 3 | NW 3 | SW 6 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | N 3 | WSW 5 | W 5 | W 5 | WNW 4 | — | NNE 4 | WNW 4 | W 5 | SW 16 | — | — | NNE 4 |
— | — | 2 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 42 | 34 | 27 | 4 | — | 26 | 26 | 51 | 1431 | — | — | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 36 | 4 | 16 | 729 | 580 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 746 | 681 | 681 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in East Coast of Tasmania | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Clifton Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Clifton Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Clifton Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Clifton 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 (Clifton 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 Clifton 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 East Coast of Tasmania? If you are looking for accommodation near Clifton Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in East Coast of Tasmania, consider staying in Hobart which is 21 km (13 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Port Arthur which is 30 km (19 miles) away











