Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 517 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period with ESE 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 (Aug 18) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. 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 1.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 11s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surf’s up... or maybe not just yet. We’re looking at a pretty flat and messy run for the next couple of weeks, with very few windows that’ll get your heart pumping. But there is one little glimmer at the end of the tunnel worth keeping an eye on.
The first real chance to get wet is on Tuesday, August 18th. Emerald Beach (New South Wales) will have some 5ft surf coming from the ESE with a short, junky 7-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore, which will keep it reasonably clean, and the energy is weak at 343. Water temp is sitting at 67°, which is about average for this time of year. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the best we’ll see for a while. Tuesday afternoon drops off a bit as the wind goes more cross, making things less appealing.
Wednesday the 19th morning brings a slight bump in size to 5ft, but the period stretches out a touch to 10 seconds. Still, the cross-shore wind messes with the shape, and the energy is moderate at 520. It’s a choppy, mediocre morning. Afternoon drops to 4ft and gets worse.
From Thursday the 20th through to Monday the 25th, we’re in a hole. The swell stays small, the winds turn onshore and get gusty, and the periods are short. It’s basically blown-out dribble. Thursday sees 4ft to 5ft of junky swell with onshore winds. Friday is smaller and messy. The weekend isn't much better—small, weak, and mostly onshore, though Saturday the 22nd morning will be glassy but tiny at 3ft, and Sunday the 23rd morning has a bit of offshore wind, but again, only 3ft on tap.
The following week, from the 25th onwards, doesn’t offer much either. There are some glassy mornings, like Wednesday the 26th and Saturday the 29th, but the swell is tiny. The periods finally stretch to 8-9 seconds, but there’s just not enough power.
Now, the one standout in this whole period is Saturday afternoon, August 29th. The wind swings around to a light SSE cross-offshore, the surf bumps up to a clean 3ft, and the period is a more respectable 9 seconds from the NE. The energy jumps up to 219, which is moderate. It’s not huge, but it’s the cleanest and most promising conditions we’ll get in this entire stretch. It’s that one window where everything comes together, and it’ll be worth the wait. It’s a promising signal, but a long way off, so don't book your flights yet.
The rest of the run into September is flat. There are a few clean mornings with offshore winds, but the swell is down to 1ft or 1ft, which is nothing. You’re better off finding something else to do.
Bottom line: it’s a pretty bleak run for the most part, with a long stretch of poor options from the 20th to the 25th. But that Saturday the 29th afternoon has a little magic about it. Keep an eye on that one. Otherwise, this is a time for gear maintenance and patience.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 7 | E 7 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 4 | NNE 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
307 | 293 | 492 | 286 | 155 | 199 | 188 | 51 | 45 | 52 | 72 | 46 | 43 | 80 | 74 | 76 | 53 | 43 | 58 | 98 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:53PM1.08m | 12:49PM1.27m | 00:41AM0.94m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:03AM0.42m | 00:00AM0.39m | 11:03AM0.36m | 00:38AM0.31m | |||||||
— | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | E 6 | ENE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 10 | ENE 8 |
307 | 293 | 492 | 286 | 155 | 199 | 10 | 20 | 45 | 25 | 13 | 46 | 43 | 80 | 74 | 76 | 53 | 43 | 37 | 67 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | SE 12 | S 11 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | E 9 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | S 4 | SSW 6 | S 8 | SSW 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 11 |
70 | 135 | 35 | 44 | 23 | 11 | 9 | 24 | 27 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 29 | 37 | 20 | 57 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 11 | S 15 | S 10 | S 8 | — | — | ESE 7 | E 9 | E 10 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 5 | SSW 16 | S 12 | S 8 | SE 5 |
24 | 57 | 4 | 29 | 28 | — | — | 19 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 84 | 47 | 33 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 7 | NE 6 | N 3 | NE 4 | NE 5 | N 4 | — | N 3 | — | — | N 2 | N 3 | NE 4 | NNE 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 188 | 51 | 5 | 52 | 72 | 14 | — | 6 | — | — | 1 | 5 | 58 | 98 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 39 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 2 | 176 | 2 | 12 | 422 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 12 | 260 | 5 |
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











