Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, NE swell with 250 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s 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 22) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s is also forecast. 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 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
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 honest with you—this 16-day window at Emerald Beach is a real mixed bag, and the early part is a tough slog. This is a point break that's exposed to the swell, and it's best with the swell coming from the northeast. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
For the first week and a half, we're looking at a lot of nothing much. The surf starts off Thursday morning with a small 5ft ESE swell, but it's messy with a cross-on breeze and a weak energy of 224. It's a write-off. Thursday afternoon is worse with onshore winds, and the whole of Friday, Saturday, and the following Monday are all poor to very ordinary. The energy is weak, mostly under 100, and the winds are all over the shop. There's a tiny window Sunday afternoon the 23rd with clean conditions and a light offshore, but it's only 2ft and 62 energy—barely a ripple. That's the best we've got until the end of the month.
Now, if you're an expert looking for some serious grunt, keep your eyes on the 31st of August. That Monday afternoon, we've got a solid 12ft swell from the NE with a period of 8 seconds and a massive 1382 combined energy. The wind is light and cross-on, so it's not perfect, but the raw power is there. The catch is, at this size, it's only for the very experienced, and it's too big for this break. It's a bit of a freak event.
The outlook improves a little heading into early September. On the 2nd of September, Wednesday afternoon, we get a clean 4ft ENE swell with a moderate offshore breeze and 278 energy. That's your best bet for a decent, surfable wave in the whole period. By the 3rd of September, Thursday morning, it's glassy with a tiny 3ft E swell, but the energy is only 133. It's small, but it'll be clean. Friday the 4th is even smaller, with glassy 2ft waves.
So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is mostly a dud, with a few barely rideable mornings. The standout is the 31st of August for the big, dangerous sets, but only if you're a pro. The most realistic surf comes on the 2nd of September with cleaner, moderate-sized waves. Stick with it, it's a point break so it can be fickle, but there's a glimmer at the end.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the NNE by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 7 | E 7 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 214 | 167 | 30 | 30 | 60 | 97 | 30 | 52 | 55 | 59 | 51 | 46 | 50 | 88 | 82 | 132 | 250 | 146 | 113 | 114 | 81 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | off | off | off |
High Tide | 1:49PM1.23m | 1:46AM0.84m | 2:58PM1.23m | 3:12AM0.80m | 4:07PM1.26m | 4:31AM0.82m | 5:04PM1.33m | 5:29AM0.88m | 5:51PM1.41m | 6:14AM0.95m | 6:31PM1.49m | 6:52AM1.03m | 7:06PM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:31PM0.55m | 7:39AM0.41m | 10:01PM0.53m | 8:51AM0.44m | 11:11PM0.47m | 10:03AM0.42m | 00:00AM0.39m | 11:03AM0.36m | 00:38AM0.31m | 11:51AM0.29m | 1:11AM0.22m | 12:33PM0.22m | 1:42AM0.15m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | |  | |  | | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 16 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ENE 6 | SSE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 5 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | S 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 214 | 9 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 14 | 30 | 5 | 55 | 59 | 51 | 28 | 160 | 164 | 82 | 132 | 78 | 146 | 113 | 114 | 81 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 6 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | E 9 | SE 7 | E 10 | E 8 | E 8 | S 12 | S 10 | SE 6 | SE 6 | S 11 | S 11 | S 16 | NE 6 | N 5 | S 9 | S 15 |
| kJ | 10 | 9 | 19 | 26 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 92 | 35 | 15 | 112 | 81 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 24 | 19 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 8 | ESE 7 | E 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | — | S 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SE 6 | SE 5 | S 16 | — | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 4 | S 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 24 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 5 | 46 | 50 | 19 | 7 | 20 | — | 48 | 26 | 2 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 7 | NNW 3 | N 4 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 | NE 7 | SW 2 | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | ENE 8 | NNE 4 | N 3 | NE 8 | N 6 | SSW 2 | — | S 5 |
| kJ | — | 167 | 6 | 12 | 60 | 97 | 27 | 52 | 1 | 52 | 22 | — | — | 88 | 14 | 6 | 250 | 60 | 1 | — | 43 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 176 | 2 | 16 | 253 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 260 | 2 | 83 | 249 | 2 | 2 | 120 | 0 |
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
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