
Surf Forecasts:
Crescent Head surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, SSE swell with 961 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period with ENE 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 (Jul 23) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. 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 1.6m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Crescent Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Crescent Head.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the picture builds into some serious size later on. The opening days are small and a bit messy, but don’t write it off – there’s a proper window of cleaner waves coming.
The first real chance to get wet kicks off on Friday, 24 July. Friday morning sees a 1.8m S swell, but that wind is a bit cross-off from the SW at 20 km/h. It’s surfable, but not the pick of the bunch. The combined energy is moderate at 618. Friday afternoon the swell bumps up to 1.9m but the wind goes cross from the S, making it a bit of a chop fest.
Saturday, 25 July morning is where it starts to get interesting. We’ve got a 1.5m SSE swell with a nice long period of 12 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-off from the NW at 5 km/h. The combined energy is moderate (756), and the wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions." This is a solid morning for a point break like Crescent Head, with that longer period delivering some real shape.
Sunday, 26 July morning is another standout. The swell drops a touch to 1.1m from the SSE, but the period is still a long 12 seconds, and the wind goes glassy from the WNW at 5 km/h. That’s about as clean as it gets. The combined energy is moderate (322). The wave comment says "expect good surf conditions." This is a classic, clean, small-wave morning for the point. Keep an eye on the tide though.
After that, we go through a few days of small, ordinary surf through the end of July and into the start of August. Not much to write home about until the second week.
Now, hold onto your board. The second week kicks off with a serious pulse around Sunday, 2 August. The morning shows a 2.5m S swell with a 10-second period, and a cross-off wind from the SSW at 20 km/h. The combined energy jumps to a very strong 2199, and the wave comment says "marginal" but with clean conditions. This is for the more experienced crew – at 2.5m, it’s getting big for the point.
Then things get absolute wild. From Monday, 3 August through to Wednesday, 5 August, we’re looking at 3.0m to 4.0m SSE/SE swells, but the wind is howling onshore from the SE and SSE at 20-30 km/h. The combined energy is massive – hitting 7436 on Tuesday morning. The wave comment says "poor surf conditions" for most of these. This is big, raw, and messy. Honestly, with those winds and that size at a beach-and-point setup, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The true standout for the big-wave hunters is Thursday, 6 August morning. The swell is a solid 4.0m from the SE with a 13-second period, and the wind finally goes cross-off from the SSW at 10 km/h. Combined energy is a staggering 4937, and the wave comment says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is a big, clean, powerful groundswell session for the crew who know what they’re doing. The period is over 11 seconds, so there will be long gaps between sets, but the shape on the point should be incredible.
Friday, 7 August morning is another beauty. The swell drops to 3.0m from the ESE, still with a 13-second period, and the wind goes glassy from the W at 5 km/h. The wave comment is "excellent" again. This is a slightly smaller, cleaner version of the day before, and it’s a top contender for the best session of the whole outlook.
Overall, the best on offer is Saturday, 25 July morning for the smaller, clean, fun stuff, and Thursday, 6 August morning for the big, serious, expert-level waves. The water temp is about 20°C, which is normal for this time of year.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 14 | SSE 19 | SSE 19 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
101 | 72 | 367 | 646 | 304 | 699 | 408 | 227 | 311 | 349 | 232 | 129 | 146 | 146 | 113 | 72 | 48 | 39 | 36 | 71 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | on | off | glassy | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:31AM0.94m | 4:39PM1.51m | 4:31AM0.91m | 5:36PM1.59m | 5:26AM0.92m | 6:26PM1.66m | 6:13AM0.97m | 7:10PM1.72m | 6:53AM1.03m | 7:50PM1.76m | 7:31AM1.11m | 8:28PM1.78m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:28PM0.62m | 9:19AM0.46m | 11:42PM0.61m | 10:15AM0.41m | 00:36AM0.58m | 11:09AM0.35m | 1:18AM0.55m | 12:00PM0.28m | 1:53AM0.52m | 12:47PM0.20m | 2:24AM0.50m | 1:30PM0.13m | 2:54AM0.49m | |||||||
— | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 4 |
101 | 72 | 196 | 276 | 238 | 699 | 408 | 227 | 311 | 349 | 232 | 129 | 146 | 146 | 113 | 72 | 48 | 21 | 13 | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 6 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 12 | E 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | SE 10 | E 11 | NE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 4 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | S 7 |
8 | 5 | 49 | 35 | 304 | 39 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 54 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 20 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 17 | SE 7 | E 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 9 | N 8 | — | E 13 | E 12 | NE 7 | E 15 | — | SE 14 | SSE 15 | NE 4 | SSE 19 | SSE 19 |
3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 42 | 18 | 3 | 6 | 1 | — | 3 | 11 | 2 | 4 | — | 8 | 22 | 1 | 36 | 71 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 5 | S 8 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | — | S 5 | — |
— | 19 | 367 | 646 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 20 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 76 | 17 | 14 | 93 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 127 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 271 | 62 |
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.










