
Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, ESE swell with 1,228 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period with NNE 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 Tuesday (Sep 15) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 6s. 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 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.5m 10s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s be honest with ourselves: this next stretch is looking pretty bleak for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing but closeout closeouts and onshore slop on the menu for the next week or so. It’s going to be a test of patience, that’s for sure.
Looking at the start of the period, we're staring down a run of poor surf. From Saturday the 12th all the way through to Thursday the 17th, we're looking at tiny, weak waves with periods that just don't have any push. The energy is low and mostly windswell junk. You might see a bit of a pulse on Monday the 14th in the afternoon as the wind swings onshore and bumps the size up to 3ft, but the period drops to a dismal 4 seconds. That’s just messy, blown-out whitewater. The wind is mostly onshore or cross, and the swell direction is all over the place, nothing clean or organized. It's a full week of waiting.
The only highlight in that first stretch is Wednesday the 16th when a strong offshore wind comes in, but it’s way too strong to make it enjoyable. The surf is tiny and the wind is blowing 25 mph, making it almost impossible to paddle into anything. It’s clean, but it’s a fight, not a surf.
Now, let's talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. The real story here is Friday the 18th. That's when a proper groundswell finally arrives. The swell jumps to a solid 8ft with a period of 12 seconds, coming from the southeast. The combined energy is a massive 1715 on the Friday morning, building to 1893 by the afternoon. This is the standout, no question. The wind is offshore and clean, and this is going to be all-time for the experienced crew. The swell direction is right in the groove for this spot. This is a day for the big boys, as these waves will have some serious power and size. The morning glass is the pick.
The weekend after that, Saturday the 19th, is still good, but it's a step down. The swell eases to 7ft with the period dropping slightly to 11 seconds. There’s a light cross-onshore breeze in the morning and it goes more onshore in the afternoon, so it won't be as clean as Friday.
After that, it looks like the swell fades out pretty quickly. We’ve got a couple of days with some poor, short-period wind waves, and then there's a possibility of a small pulse of energy on Wednesday the 23rd. The surf looks to be around 6ft, but the period is short at 7 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore in the afternoon, so it’s likely to be a bit lumpy and not worth the paddle. The rest of the second week is just more of the same small, weak slop. Not a whole lot to get excited about.
So, if you can only surf one day, make it Friday the 18th. It's a long way out, but it looks like the real deal. Everything else in this window is a skunk.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Tue night, strong winds from the SSW by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | NE 4 | E 10 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | N 16 | N 16 | SE 11 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 8 | 34 | 48 | 44 | 128 | 99 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 990 | 1216 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | on | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 8:46PM1.53m | 9:14AM1.47m | 9:23PM1.40m | 9:51AM1.47m | 9:59PM1.26m | 10:30AM1.44m | 10:35PM1.12m | 11:11AM1.38m | 11:15PM0.99m | 11:58AM1.31m | 00:04AM0.88m | 12:56PM1.24m | 1:14AM0.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:36PM0.07m | 3:01AM0.01m | 3:20PM0.12m | 3:32AM0.06m | 4:03PM0.19m | 4:02AM0.14m | 4:47PM0.28m | 4:33AM0.22m | 5:36PM0.38m | 5:08AM0.31m | 6:35PM0.46m | 5:50AM0.39m | 7:52PM0.52m | ||||||||
5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | |
— | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | NNE 6 | NE 14 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | S 19 | S 19 | SE 11 | ESE 12 |
418 | 391 | 539 | 298 | 250 | 291 | 312 | 180 | 88 | 56 | 33 | 99 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 7 | 990 | 1216 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | S 19 | S 17 | S 19 | SSW 18 | ENE 13 | E 10 | E 10 | E 12 | ENE 14 | ENE 14 | S 10 | ENE 6 | — | — | S 19 | S 19 | E 12 | N 16 | S 9 | S 9 |
64 | 267 | 205 | 190 | 104 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 8 | — | — | 7 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 313 | 175 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 14 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | N 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 16 | E 9 | E 9 | E 14 | ENE 14 | — | — | — | — | N 16 | S 19 | S 19 | S 18 |
19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 19 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 7 | 30 | 171 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | N 2 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | — | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 18 | 1 | 34 | 48 | 44 | 128 | — | 994 | 2864 | 3484 | 2920 | 2093 | 1723 | 1236 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 85 | 2 | 39 | 176 | 2 | 39 | 397 | 2 | 39 | 166 | 21 | 422 | 1161 | 229 | 53 | 98 | 13 | 15 | 85 | 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










