Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, NNE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, NNE swell with 126 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s 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 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what Emerald Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, it’s a pretty grim run for a while. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, onshore junk with almost no surfable waves for the first week or so. It’s not until Thursday, the 3rd of September, that we start to see *anything* of interest, but even then it’s a marginal call.
The first real highlight – and it’s the only standout in this whole window – is early morning on Tuesday the 8th of September, when things could get interesting at Emerald Beach (point). A little northwesterly breeze swings in, leaving the ocean glassy – a huge win for clean conditions. We’re talking about a 3 ft groundswell with a 5 second period, but the combined energy is still modest at (63). It won’t be huge by any means, but the potential for a clean, user-friendly wave is definitely there.
The narrative then shifts dramatically by Wednesday the 9th. We get a solid, longer-period pulse from the NE with the swell building to 6 ft and energy jumping to (415). This is moderate wave energy on the way to strong. But here’s the problem: a fearsome 31 mph cross-offshore wind from the SW makes it an absolute battle. It’s clean, sure, but you’ll be struggling to even get out in that wind. It’s really only viable for the true experts or maybe even kite surfers. That wind persists through Thursday the 10th with 5 ft to 6 ft NE swell, but the offshore gale makes paddling near impossible.
After that stormy pulse, it settles back down into another quiet, mediocre period from Friday the 11th right through to Tuesday the 15th. The swell energy drops back down, with tiny, gutless waves. There’s some offshore cleaner moments in that second week, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. It’s a real "wait and see" tail-end to the outlook.
Signing off, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | N 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | ENE 10 | NE 6 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
26 | 24 | 22 | 53 | 71 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 46 | 41 | 126 | 62 | 31 | 42 | 33 | 17 | 46 | 104 | 20 | 19 | 19 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:57PM1.41m | 10:33AM1.41m | 10:38PM1.28m | 11:20AM1.42m | 11:26PM1.14m | 12:16PM1.41m | 00:26AM1.00m | 1:24PM1.40m | 1:46AM0.90m | 2:42PM1.42m | 3:18AM0.88m | 3:58PM1.49m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 3:54PM0.17m | 4:14AM0.06m | 4:42PM0.23m | 4:50AM0.11m | 5:38PM0.30m | 5:33AM0.18m | 6:47PM0.37m | 6:26AM0.26m | 8:15PM0.40m | 7:35AM0.32m | 9:47PM0.36m | 8:58AM0.33m | 11:01PM0.26m | ||||||||
6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | |
— | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 31 | 31 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 29 | 27 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 27 | 28 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | S 7 | S 8 | S 11 | S 9 | S 11 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | S 11 |
252 | 230 | 116 | 172 | 306 | 196 | 112 | 112 | 82 | 51 | 69 | 62 | 150 | 138 | 274 | 78 | 146 | 104 | 20 | 13 | 272 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | NNE 6 | S 14 | NE 4 | S 12 | E 9 | S 9 | E 10 | S 9 | NE 5 |
220 | 257 | 248 | 155 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 46 | 31 | 50 | 52 | 21 | 95 | 24 | 75 | 6 | 83 | 18 | 14 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 12 | NE 11 | NNE 11 | NE 11 | S 13 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 11 | E 10 | S 19 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
26 | 24 | 22 | 53 | 71 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 18 | 7 | 19 | 19 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NNE 6 | SW 3 | — | NE 6 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 4 | — | S 4 | SSE 5 | — |
— | — | — | — | 15 | 39 | 15 | 46 | 26 | 41 | 126 | 2 | — | 42 | 33 | 17 | 46 | — | 27 | 35 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 309 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 13 | 39 | 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











