Emerald Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 30.18° S 153.19° E

Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Emerald Beach sea temperature is
19.3° C
0.6° 

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 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, ESE swell with 581 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 7s 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 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 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 0.8m 8s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Mon 17th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 7s
Best Surf 4AM (Wed 19th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 11s
Most Powerful 4AM (Wed 19th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 11s

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 on the cards for our local patch, Emerald Beach. It's a classic point break that's fairly consistent and exposed to a bit of north-east swell, but the whole 16-day window looks like a mixed bag.

We kick off early on Monday, August 17th. The swell is around 5 ft from the ESE with a period of just 7 seconds. That's short-period, wind-affected stuff. The energy is moderate (203), but we've got a light S wind, so it's clean enough to enjoy. The vibe is good, but this isn't going to blow you away. It's a decent start, but the quality drops off fast. Monday afternoon sees the wind shift cross-shore and the conditions get a little tricky.

Tuesday the 18th brings better energy (321 to 377) but again, the swell is short period. Morning has clean conditions with a SSE cross-off breeze and 4 ft. It's surfable, but for a point break, the short period might make it a bit jumbled. The afternoon turns cross-shore and small.

Then we get a real highlight. Wednesday, August 19th, is the standout of the whole forecast. We've got a clean 4 ft swell from the SE with a period of 10 seconds. That's a much better, longer-period groundswell with solid energy (396). The wind is SSW and offshore, which is what you want for a point. Expect clean, lined-up waves. This is the session to circle on the calendar. The afternoon drops off as the wind turns cross-onshore.

After that, things go quiet. We get a run of onshore and cross-onshore winds from Thursday the 20th all the way through to Monday the 25th. The swell stays small (2 ft to 5 ft) but the wind is mostly from the north, which doesn't favour the point. The energy drops right off, there's some glassy conditions in there on Tuesday the 25th, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft, so it's barely a ripple. That's a stretch of about 6 days with nothing really worth paddling out for.

There’s a flicker of hope late in the run, but it's not much. Wednesday, August 26th, sees a bump in swell (5 ft from ESE, 7 seconds) but the wind is cross-onshore, so it's messy. Thursday the 27th cleans up nicely with a SSW offshore breeze and 3 ft, but it's only ordinary, not exciting. Then from Friday the 28th onwards, the wind picks up strong (22 mph from the SSW on Friday morning) but the swell is tiny (3 ft) and energy is really low (69). That's a 'stay at home' day.

The very long-range part of the forecast, from the 30th of August into September 1st, shows a few bigger pulses of energy popping up (275 to 425 energy), and the period stretches out to 11 or 12 seconds, which is proper groundswell. But the problem is the wind is strong, onshore or cross-onshore from the north, and the swell direction is all over the place. For a point break like Emerald Beach, a long-period swell from the ESE with northerly onshore winds is going to be a messy, blown-out mess. It's promising in the data but looks pretty ugly in practice for a paddle.

To sum it up: the only true standout is Wednesday, August 19th, in the morning. Get on it. The rest is a mix of average clean days and long spells of onshore slop. If you're a kiter, there are a few days in the second week with strong cross-shore wind and a bit of swell, like the afternoon of Saturday, August 29th. Paddle surfers will be waiting for the next proper window.

Keep the faith, Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
1
1
2
1
2
2
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
ESE
7
1.4
ESE
7
1.5
ESE
7
1.7
ESE
7
1.3
ESE
8
1.5
ESE
8
1.4
ESE
9
1.3
SE
10
1.1
SE
10
1.1
SE
9
1.4
ESE
8
0.9
SE
8
1
ENE
7
1
ENE
7
1.3
NE
7
1.3
NE
6
1.1
NE
7
1.1
NE
7
1
NE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
173
203
250
329
199
307
293
348
245
178
220
96
96
88
144
134
99
112
107
Wind (km/h)
15
S
15
S
15
ESE
15
ESE
10
SSE
5
ESE
10
WSW
15
SSW
10
ENE
10
W
10
N
20
NNE
10
NNW
15
N
25
NNE
5
NW
10
NW
10
SE
15
SSW
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-off
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
off
High Tide
10:34PM1.42m
11:12AM1.33m
11:12PM1.24m
11:58AM1.31m
11:53PM1.08m
12:49PM1.27m
00:41AM0.94m
1:49PM1.23m
1:46AM0.84m
2:58PM1.23m
3:12AM0.80m
4:07PM1.26m
Low Tide
4:53AM0.10m
5:13PM0.30m
5:26AM0.18m
6:07PM0.41m
6:02AM0.26m
7:10PM0.50m
6:44AM0.35m
8:31PM0.55m
7:39AM0.41m
10:01PM0.53m
8:51AM0.44m
11:11PM0.47m
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:20
6:18
6:18
6:16
6:15
6:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:23
5:24
5:25
 mm
4
2
3
4
2
1
1
Temp °C
17
17
17
17
16
16
15
17
17
16
18
18
15
20
19
16
21
20
18
Feels °C
13
14
15
14
14
15
14
16
16
16
15
14
13
17
15
15
20
19
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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