
Surf Forecasts:
Crescent Head surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 12s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, NNE swell with 1,199 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Crescent Head this week:
The surf forecast for Crescent Head over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Crescent Head in the next 16 days are 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Crescent Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty.
Right now, Crescent Head is looking at a bit of a flat and funky start. The first real surf worth paddling out for shows up early Saturday morning, August 8th, with a tiny 2ft SSE swell and glassy conditions off a light SSW breeze – clean but ordinary, only about 100 units of energy. Not much to write home about, but you can get wet.
The weekend and early next week are pretty grim. Sunday and Monday mornings see waist-high swell around 3ft to 4ft, but the wind’s a mess – cross, cross-on, choppy. Monday morning pumps up to a big 10ft NNE swell with 1403 units of energy, but that’s an 8-second period and messy cross-shore wind. Too much size, too raw, and not clean enough for a good paddle. Tuesday morning August 11th brings a glassy window with 3ft ENE swell and 118 units – tiny but glassy, a chance to get the log out.
The real standout in this whole run is Wednesday afternoon, August 12th. Crescent Head cleans right up with a 3ft ENE swell, offshore WNW breeze at 25 km/h, and 222 units of energy. That’s a smooth, good-session call. But if you want something with a bit more push, Thursday morning August 13th serves up 7ft SSW swell with a cross-off SW wind at 20 km/h and 685 units – still clean, but at that size it’s edging toward expert-only territory.
The best balance of size and quality lands Friday morning August 14th: glassy conditions, 4ft SSE swell, 290 units. Clean, fun, not too big. Another absolute gem pops up Tuesday afternoon August 18th – 6ft SE swell, cross-off SW breeze at 10 km/h, 548 units, and the report says “expect very good surf conditions.” That one’s a cracker.
Water temp is sitting around average for this time of year, no wild anomalies, so it’s a normal winter wetsuit session.
Keep an eye on Saturday August 22nd – glassy conditions again early, 5ft E swell with a 10-second period, 502 units. Clean, lined up, and the period is long enough to give the point a nice sweep. That’s a promising long-range call, but we’ll see how it firms up closer to the day.
If you’re a beginner, stick to the smaller glassy mornings under 5ft – Tuesday August 11th or Friday August 14th are your windows. The bigger days like Monday August 10th’s 10ft and Thursday afternoon’s 8ft S swell are for experienced crew only.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the N by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 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) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 10 | SSW 8 | S 9 | SSE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
65 | 45 | 82 | 160 | 162 | 129 | 431 | 1034 | 235 | 134 | 80 | 80 | 66 | 100 | 100 | 67 | 494 | 874 | 892 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 3:01AM1.03m | 4:12PM1.68m | 4:18AM1.00m | 5:22PM1.81m | 5:25AM1.03m | 6:22PM1.92m | 6:22AM1.10m | 7:17PM2.01m | 7:11AM1.18m | 8:07PM2.03m | 7:56AM1.27m | 8:53PM2.00m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:59AM0.32m | 11:07PM0.50m | 10:09AM0.25m | 00:15AM0.43m | 11:15AM0.15m | 1:09AM0.37m | 12:15PM0.04m | 1:55AM0.34m | 1:09PM-0.05m | 2:37AM0.33m | 2:00PM-0.11m | 3:15AM0.35m | |||||||
— | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 22 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 10 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 12 |
65 | 45 | 82 | 160 | 162 | 129 | 274 | 365 | 235 | 134 | 80 | 80 | 66 | 100 | 100 | 67 | 157 | 356 | 892 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | E 14 | E 13 | ENE 8 | NNE 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 11 | S 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
24 | 26 | 44 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 101 | 38 | 1 | 20 | 25 | 93 | 44 | 30 | 31 | 19 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | ESE 9 | E 16 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | E 14 | — | — | E 13 | SW 4 | — | NE 4 | SSE 12 | N 11 | SSW 5 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | — |
17 | 26 | 5 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 3 | — | — | NNE 2 | NE 5 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | WNW 4 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | NNE 7 | — | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | SW 6 | SSW 8 | S 9 | — |
— | 3 | — | — | 1 | 35 | 431 | 1034 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 42 | — | 39 | 29 | 148 | 494 | 874 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 76 | 155 | 301 | 46 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 133 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 14 | 199 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Crescent Head Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Crescent Head provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Crescent Head can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Crescent Head 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 (Crescent Head) 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 Crescent Head 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 Port Macquarie? If you are looking for accommodation near Crescent Head, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Port Macquarie, consider staying in North Shore which is 25 km (16 miles) away. Other places in and around Port Macquarie where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Port Macquarie which is 28 km (17 miles) away, Taree and Coffs Harbour.











