
Surf Forecasts:
Dreamtime surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, S swell with 408 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dreamtime this week:
The surf forecast for Dreamtime over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Dreamtime in the next 16 days are 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dreamtime over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Dreamtime over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, the outlook is a bit of a tough one. The first week or so is pretty much a write-off, with a long stretch of poor conditions. There's a small window of hope early in the second week, but it's a limited affair. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
We start off on Monday, 27th July, with a 3ft south swell, but it's crossed-up with a cross-onshore breeze, making things choppy and ugly. That pattern sticks around for days. Tuesday through to the weekend are all similar stories: cross-shore winds, wind bumps, and generally poor quality surf. The swell energy is weak to moderate at best, with readings like 217 (on Monday morning) and 146 (on Tuesday morning), just not enough to get excited about when the wind is trashing it.
The only real glimmer of hope comes right at the end of the first week. On Wednesday morning, 29th July, we get a tiny 3ft swell from the ENE with a short 6-second period, but the wind swings to a light southwesterly and goes glassy. The conditions are "ordinary" but at least clean. The swell energy is low at 90, so it's more about a paddle than a proper session. That's the only morning that's even close to surfable.
Then we're back into the doldrums. Thursday, 30th July, picks up a bit of size with a 5ft SSE swell, but it's onshore and messy. Through the end of the month and into the first week of August, the wind is relentless from the south and southeast, keeping the surf torn up. The swell energy climbs to moderate to strong levels (388, 468) but it's all wasted on cross-onshore winds.
Finally, we get a proper standout. On Tuesday morning, 4th August, things turn around. A clean 3ft SSE swell arrives with a light north-northeast cross-offshore breeze. The guidance says "expect good surf conditions" and the energy is moderate at 219. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It's small, but it will be clean and lined up. The swell direction is from the southeast, which is right in the optimum zone for Dreamtime. It's not a day for the big wave crew, but for a fun little morning session on a consistent wave, it's your best bet.
After that, the wind turns sour again. Wednesday, 5th August, sees a bigger 6ft to 7ft SSE swell, but it's onshore and choppy. Thursday and Friday are much the same. The second week looks like a mixed bag of moderate to strong swell energy, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore, so you're fighting the chop. The only other mention is Monday morning, 10th August, with a tiny 1ft SSE swell and glassy conditions, but it's barely enough to ride. The following Tuesday morning, 11th August, has a clean offshore wind from the northwest with a 1ft ESE swell and a long 12-second period, but the energy is very low at 99. It's a tease.
So, to sum it up: don't bother paddling out until Tuesday, 4th August. That morning is your best chance for a clean, fun surf on the small side. The rest of the fortnight is mostly blown out or too small. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 11 | S 9 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
227 | 184 | 180 | 149 | 116 | 77 | 62 | 50 | 36 | 27 | 27 | 186 | 130 | 293 | 179 | 140 | 335 | 282 | 181 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:28AM0.95m | 6:59PM1.56m | 7:09AM1.00m | 7:35PM1.63m | 7:45AM1.05m | 8:08PM1.68m | 8:20AM1.09m | 8:40PM1.71m | 8:55AM1.13m | 9:11PM1.70m | 9:31AM1.17m | 9:43PM1.66m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:04AM0.35m | 12:11PM0.24m | 1:39AM0.28m | 12:51PM0.18m | 2:12AM0.21m | 1:29PM0.13m | 2:44AM0.16m | 2:04PM0.11m | 3:16AM0.13m | 2:40PM0.12m | 3:47AM0.10m | 3:16PM0.15m | |||||||
— | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 |
Temp °C | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 11 | E 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 10 | E 7 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 |
227 | 184 | 180 | 149 | 116 | 77 | 62 | 50 | 36 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 130 | 18 | 7 | 131 | 43 | 282 | 181 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 5 | SSE 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 | S 7 | E 13 | E 13 | ESE 6 | SE 14 | E 8 | ENE 7 | SE 13 | E 18 | SSE 14 |
9 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 26 | 7 | 50 | 28 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 46 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 19 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 10 | NNE 8 | SE 7 | S 16 | ENE 6 | NNE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 13 | E 18 | E 17 |
2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 4 | — | ENE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | SSE 7 | S 6 | S 9 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 10 | E 7 | E 7 |
— | 11 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 186 | 97 | 293 | 179 | 140 | 335 | 56 | 86 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 174 | 36 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Dreamtime Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Dreamtime provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Dreamtime can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Dreamtime 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 (Dreamtime) 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 Dreamtime 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.










