Emerald Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 30.18° S 153.19° E

Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 16 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Emerald Beach sea temperature is
19.8° C
0.5° 

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 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, SE swell with 3,400 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s 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 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 9s 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 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Sat 18th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Best Surf10AM (Sat 18th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 9s
Most Powerful 7PM (Sat 18th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are a write-off – flat as a pancake with nothing to ride. You’re looking at a complete blank until Saturday the 18th, so save your energy for the weekend.

Now, Saturday morning the 18th is where things get interesting, but it’s a bit of a beast. We’ve got a solid SE swell rolling in, pushing 12 ft with a combined energy reading of 1761 – that’s a serious amount of power. The wind is cross-offshore from the south at 22 mph, which should keep it clean at the face, but honestly, this is too big for most. 13 ft by the afternoon (2894 energy) is expert territory only. Emerald Beach (Emerald-Beach) is a point break and is exposed to this SE swell, but the size is really the story here. The period is a moderate 9-10 seconds, so it’s a groundswell with some push, but not overly long. If you’re not a seasoned charger, sit this one out. The water temp sits about average for the time of year at 68°.

Sunday the 19th stays big, with 12 ft swell and south winds at 22 mph keeping that cross-off flow. Still a lot of energy (2448-2495), still a big, heavy wave. This is not a beginner’s day by any stretch.

Monday the 20th sees the swell back off to a more manageable 8 ft, but the wind is a bit uglier from the SSE at 12 mph, and the conditions are marginal. The energy drops to 1064, but you might find a few if you’re desperate. Not one I’d circle.

Then we get a real gem on Tuesday the 21st. The swell drops to 6 ft but it’s pure glass in the morning – offshore light breeze from the south at 6 mph, making for clean, lined-up waves. The period is 10 seconds, and the energy is 625 – good, solid, surfable energy. This is likely the standout of the whole outlook. The swell is from the east, which is perfect for this point. Crowds are often here, so expect company, but for good reason. This is your best bet.

Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd fade off to smaller waves (4 ft down to 3 ft) with onshore or light cross winds, just ordinary conditions.

The second week turns small and inconsistent. From Friday the 24th right through to the end of the month, we’re looking at knee to waist-high dribble (0.7 ft to 4 ft) with short period (6-8 seconds) and very low energy (7-114). The winds are often offshore or clean, but there’s simply not enough swell to make it worthwhile. A few long, flat days in there.

So, to wrap it up: the window is narrow. If you’re an expert, Saturday the 18th is a heavy beast. For the rest of us, Tuesday the 21st morning is the pick of the forecast – clean, solid, and fun. Don’t bother with the second week.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Mainly strong winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Sun morning, calm by Tue night).

Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
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
!
!
!
!
!
!
3
2
3
3
2
1
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
SSE
8
3
SSE
8
0.1
NE
9
0.2
NNE
8
0.2
NNE
8
2.5
SSE
7
3.5
SE
9
4
SE
10
4
SE
10
3.5
SE
10
3.5
SE
10
3
ESE
10
2.4
ESE
10
2.2
E
10
2
E
10
1.8
E
10
1.7
E
10
1.5
E
10
1.3
E
10
1.2
E
10
1.1
E
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
0
0
3
7
6
0
1761
2894
2922
2495
2448
1601
1064
910
755
625
563
440
319
267
212
Wind (km/h)
35
S
35
S
30
SSE
30
SSE
30
SSE
30
S
35
S
40
S
35
S
35
S
35
S
25
SSE
20
SSE
20
SSE
10
SE
10
S
5
ESE
10
WNW
5
NW
15
NE
10
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
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
1:44PM1.22m
1:29AM1.04m
2:44PM1.24m
2:30AM0.92m
Low Tide
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
7:04AM0.22m
7:50PM0.51m
7:47AM0.28m
9:09PM0.54m
clear
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
cloud
light rain
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:39
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:04
5:05
5:05
5:06
5:06
5:07
5:07
 mm
4
1
1
4
1
3
Temp °C
18
18
17
18
18
17
18
18
17
17
18
17
18
18
18
17
17
16
19
18
16
Feels °C
10
11
11
12
12
11
11
11
11
10
12
12
14
15
15
16
16
16
16
15
15
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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