
Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, ENE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, NNE swell with 445 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Emerald Beach in the next 16 days are 2.2m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 12s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this is a tough forecast for Emerald Beach. The next 16 days are mostly a write-off for any decent surf, but don’t chuck the boards in the shed just yet. There’s a tiny window that might just give you a morning of something rideable, but it’s not the kind of forecast that gets you out of bed early.
The whole outlook is dominated by small, weak swell coming from the ENE. The water’s sitting at 66.9°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. The issue is the wind. For the first week, it’s all over the shop – cross, cross-on, and even some strong onshore winds – making a mess of the tiny waves. The combined wave energy is mostly weak, with values like 42 (Friday the 7th) and 126 (Saturday the 8th afternoon), which is just rubbish.
The one and only standout, if you can call it that, is Saturday morning, August 8th. The swell is small, only 2.3ft from the ENE with a short period of 8 seconds, but the wind is offshore from the S at 9 mph. That’s clean. It’s a point break, so it can handle a bit of direction, and the offshore wind will make it glassy. The combined energy is only 90, so it’s weak, but for a quick paddle on a log or a funboard, it’s the best on offer. The break is fairly consistent, though it can get crowded, and with the optimum swell from the NE, this ENE direction is close enough to work.
After that, it’s grim. The 9th gets a little bump in size to 3.9ft, but the wind is cross-on or onshore, and the surf is poor. The next week is a desert – days of 1.3ft to 1.6ft swell and offshore winds that just don’t have enough energy behind them (energy values drop to 30-35). You’ll see clean conditions, but the waves are barely a ripple. The only later flicker is around Thursday, August 20th, when the swell pushes back to 3.3ft from the ENE with a short period, and the wind is clean cross-off. The energy hits 112, which is still weak, but it’s surfable. It’s nothing special, but if you’re desperate, it’s an option.
Honestly, if you’re an intermediate surfer, the small clean stuff on the 8th morning is your best bet. For beginners, that 2.3ft is fine, but the short period means it’ll be a bit weak. For experts, there’s nothing here worth paddling for. The beach-and-reef setup and the persistent small swell with strong cross-shore winds might actually make this spot more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on some days.
Stay patient, mate. The forecast can always change.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the NNE by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Mon night, fresh winds from the WNW by Wed afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
42 | 40 | 56 | 89 | 243 | 213 | 126 | 349 | 426 | 193 | 86 | 79 | 86 | 96 | 94 | 96 | 72 | 52 | 29 | 38 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 3:12AM0.94m | 4:09PM1.49m | 4:34AM0.94m | 5:14PM1.61m | 5:44AM0.99m | 6:12PM1.72m | 6:42AM1.06m | 7:04PM1.80m | 7:32AM1.14m | 7:51PM1.83m | 8:19AM1.21m | 8:34PM1.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:44PM0.40m | 9:08AM0.25m | 11:05PM0.31m | 10:20AM0.22m | 00:09AM0.19m | 11:25AM0.16m | 1:02AM0.09m | 12:23PM0.09m | 1:48AM0.01m | 1:15PM0.03m | 2:30AM-0.04m | 2:04PM0.02m | 3:09AM-0.05m | |||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 13 |
Feels °C | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NNE 5 | ENE 10 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | SSW 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 |
42 | 40 | 56 | 89 | 243 | 213 | 126 | 123 | 166 | 193 | 86 | 79 | 86 | 53 | 94 | 36 | 48 | 276 | 29 | 38 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 7 | E 14 | E 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NNE 7 | SSW 7 | ENE 10 | S 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NNE 6 | — |
56 | 56 | 52 | 37 | 22 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 94 | 79 | 36 | 5 | 96 | 98 | 96 | 72 | 52 | 4 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSW 9 | E 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | NE 8 | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 14 | E 13 | S 6 | S 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | — | S 9 | S 7 | NNE 6 | N 10 | — |
39 | 25 | 34 | 29 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 12 | — | 39 | 8 | 12 | 2 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 8 | S 3 | — | N 3 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | — | NNE 7 | — | NNE 6 | NW 3 | SW 5 | W 5 | S 10 | S 11 |
— | — | 54 | 4 | — | 5 | 77 | 349 | 426 | 29 | 7 | — | 30 | — | 48 | 9 | 35 | 2 | 580 | 1470 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 85 | 5 | 0 | 85 | 2 | 16 | 309 | 392 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 259 | 2 | 2 | 149 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 13 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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











