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 glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s period, SSW swell with 902 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 1.6m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 11s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 1AM.
| 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 | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Clifton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Clifton Beach.
The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag, but we’ve got a real standout session waiting for us if you can bide your time. The water temp is sitting at 53°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
The first real highlight is on Sunday, August 23rd, in the afternoon. The wind goes glassy from the WNW at just 3 mph, and we’ve got a clean 4ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a long 16-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1376—this is the kind of glassy, lined-up afternoon that makes all the waiting worthwhile. The waves will have proper shape and that long period means the sets will be forgiving to paddle out between. It’s not huge, but it is clean, and that’s a win.
After that, we drop into a lull with small, weak surf and ordinary conditions until the next real standout: Sunday, August 30th, in the morning. This one is a beauty. Offshore wind from the NNW at 9 mph, a clean 6ft S swell with an 18-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 2069. This is proper groundswell, and with that offshore breeze, Clifton will be smooth and lined up. The swell is pushing 6ft, so it’s getting into the intermediate-plus zone—not one for absolute beginners, but excellent for anyone who’s got their bottom turn dialed.
There’s also a pulse on Monday, August 31st, in the morning with a 5ft SSW swell and 15-second period, with clean cross-offshore wind from the NW at 12 mph. The energy is solid at 1470, and while it’s not the absolute best of the run, it’s a solid follow-up day if you miss the Sunday.
The very end of the forecast window shows a big spike on Friday, September 4th, in the morning with a 10ft SSW swell and a massive combined energy of 5854, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 19 mph. That’s big, lumpy, and messy—strictly for experts only, and even then, it’s looking more like a kite session than a paddle session.
So to wrap it up: the best bets are Sunday afternoon, August 23rd for the glassy, clean conditions, and Sunday morning, August 30th for the offshore winds and solid groundswell. The long-range stuff is promising but less certain—keep an eye on that 30th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Sat afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 7 | S 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 23 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1654 | 773 | 471 | 749 | 437 | 289 | 346 | 346 | 205 | 150 | 81 | 96 | 124 | 50 | 46 | 100 | 395 | 443 | 258 | 144 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | on | cross | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 6:52 | — | — | 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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 9 |
Feels °C | 2 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 22 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
45 | 773 | 471 | 749 | 437 | 289 | 346 | 346 | 205 | 150 | 81 | 40 | 34 | 42 | 46 | 35 | 395 | 443 | 258 | 144 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 19 | S 17 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | E 15 | E 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SE 16 | S 16 | SSW 12 | SSE 7 | SSW 23 | SSW 12 | ESE 7 | S 9 | SW 7 |
— | 118 | 373 | 627 | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 29 | 44 | 9 | 21 | 50 | 10 | 100 | 58 | 5 | 1 | 13 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 14 | E 16 | E 16 | S 18 | SE 15 | SE 14 | S 22 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | E 13 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | W 4 | WNW 3 | — | N 3 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | N 3 | W 2 | SSW 7 | S 8 | — | NNW 2 | — | SW 11 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 |
1654 | 7 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 96 | 124 | — | 1 | — | 521 | 12 | 22 | 28 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 56 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 226 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
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











