
Surf Forecasts:
Clifton Beach surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 9,959 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. 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 4.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Clifton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Clifton Beach, trying to make sense of the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. Honestly, the start of this stretch is pretty grim, and if you're looking to paddle out, you're going to want to skip the first few days entirely. It's not looking like there's anything rideable until Tuesday the 8th.
The real story here is a big pulse of long-period energy that swings through later in the week. The first couple of days are a write-off. We’ve got a Monday with a cross-onshore breeze and a choppy 4ft of weak, short-period slop. The combined energy is a feeble 203, which is just gutless. The water temp is 53°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Then on Tuesday the 8th, the wind swings offshore and the swell drops a bit, but the period jumps way up to 18 seconds. This is some proper groundswell, clean and glassy in the morning with light winds. The energy is a moderate 436, and the wave face is showing around 2ft. It’s small, but it’s clean. The afternoon picks up slightly to 3ft with a 17-second period and a bit more energy (561). It's marginal, but it's the first real sign of life.
Wednesday the 9th is a full-on blowout. The wind screams in from the WSW at 22-25 mph, and the swell jumps to 8ft. The energy ramps way up into the thousands (4363-4649), but it’s going to be a complete mess. Forget it.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 10th is the standout of the whole run, but you need to be an expert. The ocean is going to be absolutely alive. Swell heights are predicted at 12ft in the morning, with a 16-second period and a massive energy reading of 9052. This is no beginner wave. Light offshore wind and clean conditions, but this is a serious, expert-only session. The afternoon is still big at 10ft and powerful, but the wind goes a bit cross-shore. This is the day for the big-wave crew.
Friday the 11th brings the swell down to a more manageable 5ft in the morning. With a light offshore breeze and a 17-second period, it’s going to be clean and lined up. The energy is still strong at 1162. This looks like the pick of the week for the average surfer. The afternoon gets a bit onshore, so get your waves in early.
Saturday the 12th should still be fun. 4ft of SSW swell with a 16-second period and a light offshore wind in the morning. The energy is a solid 787. It’s not as big as Friday, but it’s clean. The afternoon goes glassy, which is a major bonus.
Sunday the 13th sees the swell fade to under 3ft. It’s still clean with offshore winds, but it’s going to be small. The energy is dropping, and by Monday the 14th, the swell is tiny and the wind is howling. That run of fun waves is gone.
The middle of next week (15th and 16th) is more junk. The wind is up and the surf is poor. There’s some size on Tuesday the 15th, but it’s blown out and lumpy. The long-range charts for the last few days of the window show some promise for Friday the 18th, with a clean 4ft on the forecast, but it’s a long way out and much less certain. After that, the surf just fades away to nothing. All in all, the window for good waves is tight—basically Friday the 11th through Sunday the 13th, with Thursday the 10th being the big, gnarly standout for experts only.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Tue morning, strong winds from the SW by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 7°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | S 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | S 17 | SSW 16 | S 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
192 | 246 | 556 | 1517 | 4700 | 4982 | 5026 | 6731 | 4471 | 3390 | 3916 | 5205 | 1175 | 969 | 628 | 372 | 341 | 140 | 81 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 5:38AM0.43m | 3:54PM0.72m | 6:19AM0.44m | 4:49PM0.69m | 6:54AM0.45m | 5:44PM0.64m | 7:24AM0.47m | 6:40PM0.58m | 7:52AM0.50m | 7:40PM0.52m | 8:18AM0.53m | 8:46PM0.46m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:47PM0.03m | 9:15AM0.37m | 11:36PM0.05m | 10:18AM0.35m | 00:19AM0.09m | 11:23AM0.34m | 00:58AM0.14m | 12:31PM0.32m | 1:30AM0.20m | 1:39PM0.29m | 1:56AM0.26m | 2:46PM0.26m | 2:15AM0.31m | ||||||
— | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 19 | 22 | 18 |
Feels °C | 5 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | S 24 | — | — | — | S 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | S 17 | SSW 16 | S 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 |
41 | 246 | 556 | 98 | — | — | — | 2105 | 1297 | 849 | 1225 | 1728 | 1175 | 969 | 628 | 372 | 341 | 140 | 81 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | SSW 13 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 16 | E 15 | E 15 | S 11 | S 10 |
192 | 131 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 15 | E 14 |
27 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | S 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 3 | N 3 |
— | — | — | 1517 | 4700 | 4982 | 5026 | 6731 | 4471 | 3390 | 3916 | 5205 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 0 | 36 | 14 | 868 | 1610 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 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










