
Surf Forecasts:
Crescent Head surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 31 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 31 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with 2,116 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. 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 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Crescent Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the upcoming swell window. We've got a bit of a slow start, so don't rush to drag the boards out just yet, but there are a couple of solid windows of opportunity that are worth circling on the calendar.
The pattern kicks off Sunday the 26th with a bit of cleanup. The water temp is sitting at 68°F, which is pretty much your average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.
Let's talk about the standout. Without a doubt, Thursday the 30th of July and Friday the 31st of July are the ones to get excited about. We've got a proper pulse of S and SSW groundswell pushing in, with a solid 12-second period on Thursday and 11-second period on Friday. The combined energy is pumping at a strong 1306 on Thursday morning and a very strong 2019 on Friday morning. You're looking at 7ft to 8ft of swell from the S/SSW. That's expert territory right there—over 8ft on Friday morning's peak. It's going to be a thumping, powerful wave. The wind is the real selling point here: glassy or clean offshore cross-off conditions from the SW. That means Crescent Head is going to be an absolute beauty, peeling down the point. It's a fairly consistent spot, and with that quality of swell and wind, the waves are going to be well-shaped. It can get a bit busy out there, so expect a few others with the same idea.
The size drops off a touch into the weekend, but Saturday the 1st of August morning is still very good. You've got 5ft from the SSE with a clean cross-off breeze. The wave energy (585) is still moderate and solid, making for a fun, powerful point wave. Then Sunday the 2nd of August morning goes dead glassy with no wind, and a 5ft SE groundswell (466). That's a session for the longboard or single fin, when it's just you and the ocean.
After that, the following week gets a bit patchy. There's a decent pulse on Thursday the 6th of August with a solid 7ft windswell from the S (1006 energy) and glassy morning conditions, but the period is only 8 seconds, so it'll be a bit lumpier and less lined up than the previous week's groundswell. Still, for the crew who don't mind a bit of grunt, it's a go.
The very end of the outlook, around Sunday the 9th of August, shows another pulse of 6ft SSW swell (523) with glassy conditions on the morning. It's a short-period 7-second swell again, so it'll be a bit disorganised, but with glass it'll be clean.
There are some flat days in between where you can leave the board at home. From Tuesday the 28th through Wednesday the 29th, it's small and weak. Then again from Monday the 3rd to Wednesday the 5th, it's a similar story—small, weak energy, with unfavourable onshore winds. That's the quiet gap to plan around.
In summary, if you're an experienced surfer, lock in Thursday the 30th of July and Friday the 31st of July at Crescent Head. That's the gold run. The weekend after that is still great for everyone, and the later pulses are worth a look for the glassy windows if you can read a lumpy wave.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | S 6 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
438 | 444 | 232 | 188 | 169 | 108 | 75 | 31 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 924 | 1024 | 2116 | 1344 | 1293 | 932 | 480 | 448 | 644 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 6:26PM1.66m | 6:13AM0.97m | 7:10PM1.72m | 6:53AM1.03m | 7:50PM1.76m | 7:31AM1.11m | 8:28PM1.78m | 8:06AM1.18m | 9:05PM1.77m | 8:42AM1.26m | 9:39PM1.72m | 9:19AM1.33m | 10:13PM1.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:09AM0.35m | 1:18AM0.55m | 12:00PM0.28m | 1:53AM0.52m | 12:47PM0.20m | 2:24AM0.50m | 1:30PM0.13m | 2:54AM0.49m | 2:12PM0.08m | 3:23AM0.49m | 2:52PM0.06m | 3:51AM0.48m | 3:33PM0.07m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | S 6 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 |
438 | 444 | 232 | 188 | 169 | 108 | 75 | 31 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 225 | 487 | 973 | 672 | 716 | 563 | 480 | 448 | 644 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 8 | E 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 7 | S 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 11 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 8 | SE 14 | SE 15 | E 18 |
6 | 6 | 56 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 154 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 137 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | SE 15 | S 16 | E 8 | ENE 4 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 14 | ENE 6 | E 13 | — | E 6 | E 9 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | S 15 |
— | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 17 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 2 | — | SSW 4 | S 6 | SSW 5 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 6 | 16 | 83 | 924 | 1024 | 2116 | 1344 | 1293 | 932 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 31 | 62 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 133 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 99 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










