Surf Forecasts:
Clifton Beach surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 3,771 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period with S 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 11s 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 13s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Clifton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta say, this forecast for Clifton Beach is a real mixed bag. We're in for a long wait, but the finish line has some serious potential. The first week is mostly a write-off, but the second half of the outlook builds into something special.
Alright, so we're looking at a 16-day window, but don't bother waxing up for the first few days. Thursday the 27th of August is a total non-event. Thursday morning has a tiny 2ft south swell with a fairly long 11-second period (88 energy), but it's clean with a light offshore. That's about the only positive. By Friday, the wind swings and the swell gets messy, taking the score to zero. We'll see a few similar days, with a bit of swell but poor conditions, right through to Saturday the 30th.
Then things get interesting, but not for the faint-hearted. Sunday the 30th is a beast. The swell jacks up to a massive 10ft from the southwest, with a 14-second period. The combined energy is a whopping 4693, making for some serious power. But the file says it's predicted to be too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's a huge call. The morning is a bit lumpy with a cross-shore, but the afternoon cleans up with a light cross-offshore wind. For the average surfer, this is a day to watch from the beach.
Monday the 31st of August is where we finally get our chance. The swell drops to a much more manageable 4ft to 4ft from the south-southwest, but the period is a very long 15 to 18 seconds, bringing in proper groundswell energy (861 to 1559 energy). The wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping it glassy and clean. The file says "expect very good surf conditions" for the morning and "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" for the afternoon. This is a real standout. The long period will make the waves powerful and well-shaped, but at a beach break, it might be a bit straight. Still, the conditions are so good it's hard to ignore.
After that, the forecast gets messy again. Tuesday the 1st of September is blown out by a strong wind, and the following days show a mix of poor surf or marginal conditions. The swell is small and the wind is mostly cross-shore or onshore through to the end of the first week of September.
The second week opens up a glimmer of hope. The 7th of September (Monday) shows a small 3ft to 3ft SW swell, but with a very long 18-second period and clean conditions. By the afternoon, the file says "expect good surf conditions." It's not huge, but for a clean, long-period wave, it could be a fun session.
The real late highlight is on the 9th of September. Wednesday morning sees a 5ft south-southwest swell with an 18-second period (1358 energy) and a glassy offshore wind from the north. The file calls it "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." The afternoon cleans up further with a 4ft swell and light cross-offshore wind. This is a proper, clean, powerful groundswell. The 11th of September looks very similar too, with another 5ft, 18-second swell and clean offshore winds. These are the standout days in the second week, but they're a long way out, so keep an eye on the forecasts.
Crowds at Clifton Beach can be pretty common, so if you do get a clean day, expect company. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Tue afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Mon afternoon, near gales from the NW by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
110 | 88 | 50 | 75 | 186 | 235 | 189 | 230 | 465 | 555 | 3518 | 3771 | 3140 | 605 | 919 | 561 | 353 | 331 | 679 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 6:42AM0.41m | 5:26PM0.68m | 7:18AM0.43m | 6:16PM0.65m | 7:54AM0.47m | 7:10PM0.61m | 8:29AM0.51m | 8:11PM0.57m | 9:07AM0.55m | 9:22PM0.52m | 9:46AM0.59m | 10:41PM0.48m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:18AM0.12m | 10:41AM0.33m | 00:55AM0.12m | 11:45AM0.32m | 1:32AM0.14m | 12:53PM0.31m | 2:07AM0.17m | 2:05PM0.28m | 2:43AM0.21m | 3:19PM0.25m | 3:21AM0.25m | 4:32PM0.20m | |||||||
— | 6:46 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 8 |
Feels °C | 6 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | S 11 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 |
70 | 88 | 78 | 92 | 186 | 235 | 189 | 230 | 465 | 555 | 1175 | 1016 | 744 | 605 | 919 | 561 | 353 | 331 | 679 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | ESE 7 | S 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 12 | ESE 9 | SSW 16 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | S 22 | — | — | — | S 19 | SSW 17 | — | NE 4 | E 8 | E 11 |
110 | 27 | 50 | 75 | 56 | 29 | 99 | 9 | 8 | 9 | — | — | — | 256 | 640 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | E 8 | S 21 | SW 13 | ESE 9 | NE 9 | ESE 10 | SW 15 | NE 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 11 | — |
8 | 6 | 35 | 43 | 28 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | — | — | WNW 3 | SW 7 | SW 12 | W 3 | W 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NW 4 | — |
2 | — | — | 2 | 79 | 202 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3518 | 3771 | 3140 | — | — | — | 4 | 14 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 544 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 709 | 14 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in East Coast of Tasmania | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
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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











