Emerald Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 30.18° S 153.19° E

Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 29 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Emerald Beach sea temperature is
19.8°C
0.3° 

Emerald Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Emerald Beach surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, NNE swell with 147 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period with ENE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Emerald Beach this week:

The surf forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Emerald Beach in the next 16 days are 1.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Thu 3rd Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 9s
Best Surf 7PM (Thu 3rd Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 9s
Most Powerful10PM (Sat 5th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got to be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for Emerald Beach is a real struggle. The forecast is dominated by tiny, weak swells and mostly poor conditions, so there’s almost nothing to get excited about. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with no real standout days, and the few moments that might offer something are buried in the second week. For the first 13 days, from Saturday 29th August right through to Friday 11th September, every single session is rated as poor surf conditions. The waves are tiny—mostly 1.0ft to 2ft—with combined swell energy barely registering (values like 47, 32, 29, 24, 53, 68, 71, 93, 60, 52, 41, 40, 28, 68, 70, 139, 121, 85, 41, 17, 10, 8, 8, 11, 39, and 134, all weak to moderate at best). The swell direction is bouncing around from ENE to NNE, but the optimum swell direction for Emerald Beach is NE, so it’s never quite lining up. Winds are mostly onshore, cross-on, or cross-off, and even the offshore breezes can’t do much with the lack of size. The water temperature is a comfortable 68°F, which is about average for this time of year (anomaly of -0.5°F), but that’s little comfort when there’s no surf.

Now, late in the second week, we finally get a hint of life. On Saturday 12th September, the morning sees some improvement—there’s a 3ft swell from the north with a period of 6 seconds, and combined energy of 120 (moderate), but the real kicker is the glassy wind. This is the only session in the entire 16 days that gets a score of 1 out of 10, making it the best of a very bad bunch. The water temp is still about average for the date, but it’s not the one to chase. The swell is short-period (6 seconds) and coming from the north rather than the optimum NE, so it’s not going to be great. Still, it’s surfable, and with glassy conditions, it’s your best chance. The rest of the weekend and into the following week fades back to poor, tiny swell and messy winds.

Bottom line: this is a barren run for Emerald Beach. It’s a point break that’s fairly consistent, but even consistency can’t save it when the swell is this weak. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on the bigger, windier days. For now, keep your board waxed and hope the forecasts change—this stretch tends to bounce back, but it’s not happening here.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sat
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
ENE
9
0.5
E
8
0.4
ENE
8
0.5
E
10
0.4
ENE
9
0.4
ENE
9
0.4
ENE
8
0.3
ENE
11
0.5
E
10
0.5
E
10
0.5
E
10
0.5
E
10
0.5
E
10
0.5
E
10
0.4
ENE
10
0.4
ENE
10
0.4
ENE
10
0.4
ENE
10
0.4
ENE
9
0.6
NNE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
45
37
22
47
28
26
24
22
53
50
49
49
49
47
31
30
31
30
29
21
Wind (km/h)
20
SSE
20
SSW
20
SSW
15
SSE
15
SW
15
S
15
SE
10
W
10
N
25
NNE
10
NNW
10
NW
15
N
15
NW
15
NW
5
NE
10
WSW
10
S
10
ESE
5
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
High Tide
8:46PM1.57m
9:14AM1.34m
9:20PM1.51m
9:52AM1.39m
9:57PM1.41m
10:33AM1.41m
10:38PM1.28m
11:20AM1.42m
11:26PM1.14m
12:16PM1.41m
00:26AM1.00m
1:24PM1.40m
1:46AM0.90m
Low Tide
3:11AM0.03m
3:10PM0.14m
3:41AM0.03m
3:54PM0.17m
4:14AM0.06m
4:42PM0.23m
4:50AM0.11m
5:38PM0.30m
5:33AM0.18m
6:47PM0.37m
6:26AM0.26m
8:15PM0.40m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:05
6:03
6:03
6:01
6:01
6:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:31
5:32
 mm
Temp °C
18
17
18
17
16
18
18
16
20
19
19
25
23
20
28
27
23
20
19
17
Feels °C
15
13
15
14
14
17
17
16
16
15
16
21
20
17
25
26
20
18
18
17
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Emerald Beach Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Emerald Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Emerald Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Emerald Beach 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 (Emerald Beach) 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 Emerald Beach 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 North Coast - New South Wales? If you are looking for accommodation near Emerald Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in North Coast - New South Wales, consider staying in Coffs Harbour which is 21 km (13 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in South Grafton which is 53 km (33 miles) away

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