Surf Forecasts:
Crescent Head surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, NNE swell with 935 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period with E 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Crescent Head in the next 16 days are 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Crescent Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Crescent Head.
Right now, we’ve got a quiet patch. Thursday and Friday mornings are small and clean – waves around 1ft to 2ft – but it’s so weak (combined energy of all swells directed here 35 to 83) that it’s barely worth paddling for. Saturday stays tiny. Sunday picks up a touch to 3ft, but that northerly cross-shore and later cross-onshore wind messes it up. Not much to get excited about until Monday.
Monday the 10th of August morning sees a jump to 5ft from the ENE with a moderate offshore from the WNW. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The swell energy is moderate (316) and it’s clean, but it’s a marginal call – the tide might mess with it. Still, it’s the first real chance of a wave.
Tuesday the 11th of August morning is where things start looking up. Clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze, 4ft of SSE swell at 11 seconds. That longer period brings better shape and more energy (436). The wave quality is good, and with only light air, it’ll be clean. Keep an eye on the crowds – they’re sometimes around here, so you might have company.
Wednesday the 12th of August is a standout. Morning has 4ft of SSE swell at 11 seconds, light cross-offshore wind, and clean surf (energy 456). By the afternoon, the wind drops to glassy – flat calm, 3ft of SSE swell. That’s about as perfect as it gets for a point break. This is the best window in the first week.
From the 13th, the swell builds but the quality drops. Thursday and Friday have bigger waves – up to 8ft – but the period is short (6-8 seconds) and the wind is cross-off or cross. That’s more of a wrestling match than a pleasure cruise. Saturday the 15th of August morning is a serious standout for experienced surfers: 8ft of SE swell at 10 seconds, clean, with strong energy (1980). That’s big and powerful, not for beginners.
The second week keeps the size up. Sunday the 16th through to Monday the 17th have 10ft waves from the ESE with long periods (11-12 seconds) and very strong energy (up to 2852). That’s heavy, expert-only territory. Tuesday the 18th drops to 7ft, but the wind turns cross-onshore with rain showers, so it’s messy. Wednesday the 19th of August morning is a gem: glassy conditions, 6ft of ESE swell at 9 seconds, and very good quality (energy 752). That’s a solid session for those who can handle it.
Overall, the best on offer is Wednesday the 12th of August – glassy, clean, and fun-sized waves. For the bigger stuff, Saturday the 15th of August morning is the standout for experienced crew, with powerful, clean surf.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Sat night, fresh winds from the NNE by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | E 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 23 | 21 | 22 | 65 | 41 | 68 | 65 | 45 | 65 | 143 | 165 | 176 | 556 | 316 | 157 | 61 | 325 | 353 | 384 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 00:50AM1.22m | 1:40PM1.52m | 1:49AM1.11m | 2:56PM1.58m | 3:01AM1.03m | 4:12PM1.68m | 4:18AM1.00m | 5:22PM1.81m | 5:25AM1.03m | 6:22PM1.92m | 6:22AM1.10m | 7:17PM2.01m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:55AM0.37m | 8:15PM0.52m | 7:52AM0.35m | 9:44PM0.54m | 8:59AM0.32m | 11:07PM0.50m | 10:09AM0.25m | 00:15AM0.43m | 11:15AM0.15m | 1:09AM0.37m | 12:15PM0.04m | 1:55AM0.34m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 12 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 9 | E 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 23 | 21 | 12 | 65 | 27 | 68 | 65 | 45 | 65 | 143 | 165 | 176 | 331 | 316 | 157 | 61 | 325 | 353 | 384 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | ENE 7 | S 6 | NE 6 | SE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | — | SW 4 | S 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 8 |
| kJ | 12 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 41 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 43 | 20 | 4 | 11 | 1 | — | 1 | 34 | 94 | 96 | 116 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | S 6 | SSE 11 | E 11 | S 7 | E 8 | E 10 | ESE 9 | NE 7 | S 8 | SSE 8 | E 14 | S 13 | — | E 13 | NE 7 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | E 10 |
| kJ | 11 | 5 | 22 | 37 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 25 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | 4 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 92 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | SSE 3 | — | NNE 4 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NW 2 | W 3 | WNW 3 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 16 | 44 | 556 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 15 | 234 | 0 | 0 | 199 | 0 | 0 | 199 | 0 | 76 | 171 | 155 | 91 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Crescent Head surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest