Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period, ENE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 6s period, NE swell with 269 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s 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 1.9m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) 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 1.6m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for the next 16 days.
Alright, let’s be straight with you – the outlook for this stretch is nothing to write home about. We’ve got a long run of pretty ordinary conditions ahead, with only a few windows where you might get a half-decent wave. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no worries there.
The whole period is dominated by a small, weak swell with very low energy. The combined energy of all swells directed here only hits moderate territory a couple of times, like on Tuesday the 25th morning (149) and Wednesday the 26th morning (159), but the swell is short-period and the winds are a mess. It’s a grim run for the most part.
Let’s start with the best of a bad bunch. Emerald Beach (point) is your only real option. The standout, if you can call it that, is Wednesday morning, August 26th. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the NE, with a short period of 6 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the W. That’s clean, and the combined energy is 159 – the highest we’ll see. It’s a small wave, but it’s surfable and clean. After that, Thursday morning, August 27th is also a goer: 3ft from the ENE with a 8-second period, offshore wind from the S at 9 mph. Clean again. And Friday morning, August 28th is worth a look too – 3ft from the ENE, glassy with a NW wind, and clean. The energy is weak (106), but it’s a quiet morning.
After that, the bottom drops out. From Saturday the 29th onwards, the swell gets smaller and smaller, the winds get ugly, and the scores drop to zero. We’re talking a solid week-plus of poor surf conditions. The combined energy drops to weak two-digit levels from the 30th onward. There’s a tiny flicker on Saturday, September 5th afternoon with a 4ft SE swell, but it’s short-period and onshore, so it’s a mess.
Honestly, if you’re keen, hit Wednesday the 26th or Thursday the 27th. That’s it. The rest of the 16 days are a write-off. The breaks are fairly consistent here, but this is a poor run. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on many of those windy days, especially the 25th and 31st. Keep an eye on the charts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the NNE by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 6 | NE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 5 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
59 | 75 | 61 | 49 | 70 | 80 | 132 | 83 | 170 | 150 | 112 | 110 | 131 | 165 | 116 | 106 | 76 | 54 | 61 | 61 | 61 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 5:04PM1.33m | 5:29AM0.88m | 5:51PM1.41m | 6:14AM0.95m | 6:31PM1.49m | 6:52AM1.03m | 7:06PM1.56m | 7:28AM1.11m | 7:40PM1.60m | 8:03AM1.20m | 8:13PM1.60m | 8:38AM1.27m | 8:46PM1.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:03AM0.42m | 00:00AM0.39m | 11:03AM0.36m | 00:38AM0.31m | 11:51AM0.29m | 1:11AM0.22m | 12:33PM0.22m | 1:42AM0.15m | 1:12PM0.16m | 2:11AM0.09m | 1:51PM0.13m | 2:41AM0.05m | 2:30PM0.12m | 3:11AM0.03m | |||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 6 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 8 | S 10 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 7 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 |
59 | 75 | 61 | 160 | 174 | 98 | 132 | 53 | 170 | 150 | 112 | 110 | 131 | 186 | 295 | 148 | 237 | 344 | 223 | 198 | 449 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 12 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | S 11 | S 16 | S 11 | S 16 | S 9 | S 14 | S 11 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
13 | 148 | 59 | 49 | 70 | 80 | 79 | 20 | 20 | 46 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 165 | 116 | 106 | 18 | 54 | 61 | 61 | 61 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | S 7 | S 9 | S 8 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 5 | — | S 16 | S 10 | S 16 | N 13 | NE 13 | S 16 | NE 10 | S 13 | S 14 | NE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 |
1 | 4 | 110 | 41 | 11 | 6 | 3 | — | 44 | 16 | 20 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 24 | 115 | 66 | 29 | 5 | 5 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | S 3 | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 4 | N 4 | NE 5 | N 6 | WNW 4 | SSE 2 | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | — | ENE 8 | NE 4 | SSE 4 | S 4 | — |
6 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 21 | 14 | 83 | 121 | 9 | 1 | 54 | 56 | — | — | — | 76 | 2 | 10 | 22 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 176 | 2 | 16 | 208 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 |
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











