Emerald Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 30.18° S 153.19° E

Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 14 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Emerald Beach sea temperature is
20.1° 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 13 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, ESE swell with 3,371 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period with SE 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Emerald Beach in the next 16 days are 4.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4PM (Sat 18th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 8s
Best Surf 4PM (Sat 18th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 8s
Most Powerful 4AM (Sun 19th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a mixed bag of a forecast for Emerald Beach, and honestly, the first few days are a write-off. We’re looking at Tuesday the 14th through Thursday the 16th with barely a ripple – tiny, weak swells and strong onshore winds. Just leave the board in the shed for a few days.

The first real sign of life kicks off Friday the 17th, but it’s not pretty. A 7ft swell from the southeast rolls in, but it’s got a short, choppy period of only 7 seconds and moderate cross-offshore winds. The wave energy is moderate (462), but the conditions are marginal. That swell sticks around Saturday the 18th, actually building to 10ft by the afternoon with a combined energy of 992. The wind is still cross-off, and the forecast notes the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. That’s expert territory, and even then, it’s messy.

Sunday the 19th sees a big jump in energy – we’re talking 12ft swell from the ESE with a longer period of 11 seconds, pushing the combined energy to a massive 2820. That’s a powerful, long-period groundswell, but again, it’s flagged as too big for Emerald Beach. The wind is cross-off, but for a point break, that size and power with a long period can make it break straight and be a handful. It’s a waiting game.

The real standout for the whole outlook is Saturday the 25th. The morning is pure magic. We’ve got a clean 7ft easterly swell with a long 12-second period. The combined energy is a solid 1155. But the kicker is the wind: glassy. Absolutely dead calm. If you are an experienced surfer, this is the session to circle. The water temp is about 68°, which is normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Another excellent window is Thursday the 23rd. Both morning and afternoon show a 8ft easterly swell, rocking a long 12 to 13-second period, with a combined energy between 1581 and 1755. The wind is moderate offshore from the SSW. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, though it’s on the bigger side of the recommended range for most.

Keep an eye on Saturday the 25th for the absolute best conditions. The window from the 21st to the 26th has consistent, clean surf, but the 25th is the prize.

That’s the scoop from the beach. Stay stoked.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds.

Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
AM
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
2
1
1
1
1
!
!
!
!
3
3
3
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.2
E
10
0.1
E
10
0.5
S
7
0.1
N
10
0.1
E
10
3.5
S
9
3
SSE
8
0.1
N
10
2.3
SE
7
2.1
SE
7
2.1
SE
7
2.4
SE
7
2.5
SE
7
3
SE
8
4
ESE
10
3.5
ESE
11
3
ESE
10
2.5
E
10
2.5
E
10
2.5
E
10
2.2
E
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
8
2
0
2
2
0
0
2
543
459
483
563
658
992
2995
2820
2216
1458
1478
1243
970
Wind (km/h)
10
SSW
10
SE
10
WSW
25
SSW
30
S
30
SSW
30
S
30
SSE
25
SSE
25
SSE
25
SE
30
S
35
SSE
30
SSE
30
SSE
30
S
30
SSE
25
SSE
20
SSE
20
S
15
SE
Wind State
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
8:07PM1.89m
8:36AM1.12m
8:55PM1.89m
9:26AM1.15m
9:42PM1.82m
10:15AM1.17m
10:27PM1.71m
11:04AM1.19m
11:10PM1.55m
11:55AM1.21m
11:54PM1.37m
12:48PM1.22m
00:39AM1.19m
Low Tide
1:24PM0.03m
2:53AM-0.03m
2:15PM0.02m
3:40AM-0.04m
3:06PM0.04m
4:23AM-0.02m
3:56PM0.11m
5:05AM0.02m
4:47PM0.20m
5:45AM0.08m
5:41PM0.32m
6:24AM0.15m
6:40PM0.43m
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:39
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:02
5:04
5:04
5:05
5:05
5:06
5:06
 mm
1
3
3
2
5
5
8
7
3
1
5
2
1
1
1
3
Temp °C
16
16
14
17
18
16
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
18
18
16
17
17
18
18
17
Feels °C
13
14
11
10
11
10
11
11
12
13
13
12
11
12
12
10
12
12
14
14
15
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Emerald Beach:

join our community of surf reporters

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 Emerald Beach 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 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

Nearest locationNearest