Surf Forecasts:
Dreamtime surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 606 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period with ESE 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Dreamtime in the next 16 days are 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dreamtime over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Dreamtime over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim stretch for the most part. We’re looking at a long, dry spell before anything even starts to look interesting.
The first real chance of a wave comes up on Sunday, August 21st, but it’s nothing to write home about. We’ve got a tiny 4ft swell from the ESE trundling in at a short 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak (176). The only saving grace is the wind – a glassy calm from the NNW in the morning. That’ll make the ocean look like a mirror, but the waves themselves are just ordinary. The water’s sitting at around 68°, which is about normal for this time of year.
We then drift into a flat spell. Saturday, August 22nd has a bit of knee-high chop, with the swell dropping to 3ft from the ENE. The afternoon goes perfectly glassy, which is nice, but there’s just no guts to the waves. Combined energy is a measly 104. It’s a surfable wave for a longboard on a calm day, but nothing more.
Sunday, August 23rd is a write-off – the wind swings onshore and chops everything up. There’s a gap of nearly a week here where the surf is just not worth your time. The wind is all over the place, and the swell is tiny.
Now, do we have a standout? Barely. The best bet in this whole window is Saturday, August 29th. It’s not a gem, but it’s the only pulse of size we see. The swell jumps to 6ft from the NNE, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be a bit messy and walled-up. The combined energy is moderate (255). The wind is light from the SE, which is a light cross-onshore, creating small wind ripples, but it’s surfable for a shortboard. The conditions are still marginal, so don’t expect perfection. For a beginner, 6ft might be a bit too much push, and the short period makes it a bit of a close-out machine. This is really for the experienced crew who are desperate for a paddle.
Honestly, this is a tough forecast. The consistent-looking spots just aren’t there. The surf is small, chopped up, or just plain flat for most of the sixteen days. This is one of those blank runs that’s pretty normal for the area when the weather patterns lock in. Keep an eye on it, forecasts can change, but for now, I’d be finding other things to do.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 16°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 312 | 222 | 475 | 397 | 464 | 464 | 502 | 458 | 475 | 606 | 377 | 201 | 193 | 257 | 154 | 169 | 163 | 104 | 91 | 94 | 79 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 10:16AM1.35m | 10:22PM1.47m | 11:00AM1.34m | 10:57PM1.30m | 11:47AM1.30m | 11:35PM1.13m | 12:42PM1.25m | 00:20AM0.98m | 1:48PM1.21m | 1:28AM0.87m | 3:05PM1.21m | 3:04AM0.82m | 4:15PM1.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:11PM0.19m | 4:43AM0.11m | 4:57PM0.33m | 5:16AM0.18m | 5:48PM0.46m | 5:52AM0.26m | 6:52PM0.57m | 6:37AM0.35m | 8:21PM0.62m | 7:38AM0.41m | 10:04PM0.59m | 8:57AM0.43m | 11:13PM0.51m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | — | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 18 | S 8 | SE 17 | ENE 9 | SE 11 | ESE 15 | ESE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 33 | 32 | 30 | 57 | 11 | 17 | 101 | 21 | 129 | 105 | 80 | 201 | 193 | 257 | 154 | 169 | 163 | 104 | 91 | 94 | 79 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 18 | ESE 9 | E 14 | SE 18 | S 17 | ENE 9 | S 9 | SE 14 | ESE 12 | S 11 | S 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 10 | ENE 6 | NE 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 10 |
| kJ | 12 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 23 | 17 | 28 | 32 | 129 | 20 | 14 | 61 | 53 | 8 | 27 | 4 | 19 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | SSE 18 | E 14 | S 18 | E 13 | E 13 | S 13 | — | — | ESE 7 | S 10 | S 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | S 13 | S 12 | E 12 | NE 9 | SE 10 | SE 7 |
| kJ | 4 | 30 | 4 | 55 | 4 | 3 | 13 | — | — | 42 | 33 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | N 4 | NNW 3 | SE 2 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | 312 | 222 | 475 | 397 | 464 | 464 | 502 | 458 | 475 | 606 | 377 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | 1 | 30 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 49 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 208 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
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)
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 Dreamtime 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 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.
Nearest