Crescent Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s break down this next stretch of surf for ya.

The start of the run is pretty gutless. We’ve got a few days of small, disorganized swell, and the wind is all over the shop. Wave heights are in that knee-high range, with a nasty cross-chop on it, so honestly, you won’t be missing a thing. This flat spell runs from Saturday through until about Tuesday. It’s one of those stretches where you’re better off doing a few laps in the pool to keep the arms going.

The first real pulse of energy shows up on Wednesday the 16th. The swell starts to build, coming from the S/SSE direction with periods around 8-9 seconds. It’s still raw, and the wind is strong from the SSW, fresh and cross-off, so it will be clean but ripping. Wave heights climb from around 8ft in the morning up to 10ft in the afternoon. Combined energy is strong – (729) in the morning and powering up to (1372) by the afternoon. Water temp is 69.8°, which is about 2.3° warmer than normal for this time of year – a touch on the warm side, noticeable but not crazy. This is more for the experienced crew; it's a serious step up in size.

Thursday the 17th is the standout of this first week. It's bigger and cleaner. Morning sees 11.5ft of S swell at 10 seconds, with combined energy hitting a very strong (3545). The wind swings SSW at 25 km/h, cross-off, so the face is going to be clean with some proper push. Thursday afternoon backs off a fraction to 10ft, but it’s still solid. This is big, powerful surf. This is for experts – over 8ft is serious water. It's a bit of a beast, but if you're confident and know the bank, Thursday morning is the pick. Expect some heavy, grinding lines at the point. Crowds are likely at this spot, but when it’s this size, that tends to thin the pack out a touch.

The swell eases into Friday the 18th, coming down to 6ft from the ESE. It’s a bit of a cross-shore situation, so not as perfect as Thursday, but there’s still plenty of energy in the water with (1160) combined in the morning.

Then we get a bit of a lull, with the weekend dropping back to ankle-biters again. Not much happening on Saturday the 19th or Sunday the 20th.

The next real window opens up on Monday the 21st, into Tuesday the 22nd. It’s a different character entirely. A shorter-period S/SSE swell at 7-8 seconds rolls in, with heights around 7ft. Monday morning looks glassy – we’re talking light SW winds, cross-off, and the comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” Combined energy is a moderate-strong (771). It’s not as big or as powerful as Thursday, but it’s much more user-friendly. That cross-off wind will keep things clean, and the shorter period means the sets are a bit more regular, but it might be a little more closed-out at the beaches. At a point like Crescent Head, it should still offer some good, rippable walls. Crowds are possible here, so get in early. This is looking like the better, more fun session for the majority of surfers.

After that Tuesday afternoon, it seems to drop back off again mid-week. The rest of that week and into the weekend looks pretty small and unremarkable, with weak swells under 3ft and onshore breezes. The 16-day window fades out from the 23rd onwards with nothing notable on the horizon.

So, to sum it up: If you're an experienced surfer, Thursday the 17th is your big, powerful day. If you want the cleaner, more manageable conditions, set your alarm for Monday morning the 22nd. Get on it.

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