Surf Forecasts:
Clifton Beach surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 2,684 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 16s 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 2.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7PM. 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Clifton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s get straight to it. The next couple of weeks have a bit of everything – a slab of proper swell early, but with howling wind that’ll ruin it, then a long, dull grind through small clean waves, and finally a big, powerful pulse right at the end that’s the real deal. Keep your expectations real and your quiver ready.
The main spot is Clifton Beach (Clifton-Beach). It starts the weekend with a hefty 7ft SW groundswell, but a near gale cross-onshore wind will have it totally blown out. Don't even bother. However, Sunday afternoon is a different story. The swell settles to a clean 4ft from the SSW with a very long 16-second period, and a light cross-off breeze makes it excellent for experienced surfers. This is a proper, meaty wave, not one for the learners. Water temps are about average for this time of year, so a normal springsuit will do.
That quality fades quickly. As we get into the week, the swell drops right out. There are a few clean, glassy mornings and gentle offshores, but the energy is weak – we’re talking combined readings down around 155 to 289 for days on end. It’s surfable, but pretty ordinary. This is the flat spell, and it drags on for a few days. We’ll see plenty of knee-high dribble, but it’s mostly a paddle and a chat.
One blip in this quiet period is the morning of Friday, the 28th of August. The period jumps to 18 seconds, bringing in a clean 3ft SSW groundswell. It’s small, but offshore wind and clean lines make it a fun one for a log. The consistency is only “fairly consistent,” but this is one of the few clean, worthwhile sessions in this stretch.
After a tiny, glassy Saturday morning, the forecast flips completely. Sunday, the 30th of August, is the one. The sky is clear, the wind goes dead glassy, and the swell jumps up to a solid 7ft from the south with an incredibly long 18-second period. The combined energy reading is a massive 2541 – that’s strong, powerful, proper groundswell. Combined with those conditions, this is going to be excellent for experienced surfers only. This is the standout of the whole window, no contest. And it lands on a Sunday, so you can make a day of it. Anything over 8ft is experts-only territory, and 7ft is still a serious step up. A point break like this will handle it way better than a beach, so keep that in mind.
After that spike, it settles down again. The start of September is poor – another near gale hits on Tuesday the 1st, messing everything up. The rest of the week is average, with small waves and changing winds. There’s a clean window on Thursday afternoon the 3rd, with a nice 3ft SSW and a 17-second period under a cross-off breeze. Another good longboard session if you’re keen.
Then there’s a small pulse on Friday the 4th, but the wind turns onshore and chops it up. The run ends with a clean but small Sunday morning on the 6th, with a moderate offshore and about 3ft of swell. Not the epic finish we’d hope for, but the longer-range look is promising. The energy is there, just waiting for a better wind alignment. For now, the main event is unmistakably that Sunday the 30th window.
That’s the story. It’s a waiting game for the big one. Stay patient, keep the wax on, and be ready to move when everything lines up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sat morning, calm by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 22 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1941 | 1654 | 784 | 478 | 749 | 437 | 269 | 346 | 413 | 273 | 152 | 101 | 69 | 59 | 121 | 70 | 91 | 522 | 352 | 249 | 144 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-on | off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:33PM0.65m | 4:08AM0.37m | 2:19PM0.67m | 4:47AM0.37m | 3:06PM0.68m | 5:26AM0.38m | 3:52PM0.69m | 6:04AM0.39m | 4:39PM0.69m | 6:42AM0.41m | 5:26PM0.68m | 7:18AM0.43m | 6:16PM0.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:33PM0.16m | 6:56AM0.35m | 10:15PM0.14m | 7:51AM0.35m | 10:57PM0.13m | 8:45AM0.34m | 11:38PM0.12m | 9:41AM0.34m | 00:18AM0.12m | 10:41AM0.33m | 00:55AM0.12m | 11:45AM0.32m | 1:32AM0.14m | ||||||||
6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | SSW 22 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 9 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
3 | 45 | 784 | 478 | 749 | 437 | 269 | 346 | 413 | 273 | 152 | 101 | 27 | 59 | 121 | 70 | 83 | 522 | 352 | 249 | 144 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 19 | S 17 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | E 15 | E 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 9 | E 6 | E 6 | SSW 22 | E 6 | E 13 | NE 10 | ENE 10 |
— | — | 118 | 373 | 683 | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 28 | 44 | 69 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 91 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 14 | E 16 | E 4 | E 5 | SSW 17 | SE 14 | SW 15 | E 6 | E 9 | — | — | E 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SSW 15 | W 4 | WNW 3 | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | W 3 | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 9 | — | SSW 4 |
1941 | 1654 | 12 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | 8 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 571 | 85 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 15 |
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











