Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, ENE swell with 302 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with NE 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 (Aug 22) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s is also forecast. 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 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
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 coming up for Emerald Beach. This is a solid point break, and it’s exposed to the swell, so when the conditions line up, it can really fire. The water temp is sitting right around 68°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The outlook starts a bit slow. We’ve got a gap right at the beginning. The first few days are a write-off – Friday the 21st is a mess with onshore wind and weak, messy energy. Saturday the 22nd has a small window of glassy conditions in the morning, but the swell is tiny at 3ft from the NE with a short period. It’s surfable but nothing to get excited about. Sunday the 23rd is cleaner with a light offshore, but the swell drops even more.
Things start to pick up on Monday the 24th. That morning is the first real standout. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the east, with a moderate combined energy (237). The wind is light and offshore from the south, so the surface will be glassy. The wave period is 6 seconds, which is a bit short, but for a point break, it should still offer some fun, rippable walls. This is your best bet in the early part of the run.
The energy builds through the week. Tuesday the 25th is wrecked by strong onshore northerly winds, but Wednesday the 26th afternoon sees a shift. The wind turns cross-offshore from the southeast, and the swell is 4ft from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is 201 – moderate but solid. It’s clean, and the point should handle that east swell well.
Thursday the 27th is the true highlight. Morning brings a light offshore from the SSW and a 5ft ENE swell with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 305 (moderate), and the wind is clean and offshore. This is the best surf of the entire 16-day window. The swell is a bit too big for beginners, but for intermediates and above, it’s going to be lined up and fun. Expect a few other folks out – crowds are often here, so plan for company.
From Friday the 28th, the wind turns back onshore, and the quality drops. The weekend of the 29th and 30th is marginal, with small, weak swell and cross or light offshore winds. The energy is low. Things stay pretty quiet into the first week of September. The first week of the new month offers a few glassy mornings with small 2ft to 3ft east swell, but the period stretches to 10 seconds, which is better. The combined energy sits around 100-150, so it’s weak. These are fun, small-wave days for a longboard, but nothing to plan a trip around.
Overall, the standouts are Monday the 24th morning for a clean, fun session, and Thursday the 27th for the best size and shape. The rest of the window is mostly small or blown out.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Tue afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Wed morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
71 | 112 | 62 | 53 | 37 | 45 | 50 | 122 | 120 | 84 | 86 | 129 | 180 | 203 | 222 | 193 | 232 | 302 | 248 | 254 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 3:12AM0.80m | 4:07PM1.26m | 4:31AM0.82m | 5:04PM1.33m | 5:29AM0.88m | 5:51PM1.41m | 6:14AM0.95m | 6:31PM1.49m | 6:52AM1.03m | 7:06PM1.56m | 7:28AM1.11m | 7:40PM1.60m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:01PM0.53m | 8:51AM0.44m | 11:11PM0.47m | 10:03AM0.42m | 00:00AM0.39m | 11:03AM0.36m | 00:38AM0.31m | 11:51AM0.29m | 1:11AM0.22m | 12:33PM0.22m | 1:42AM0.15m | 1:12PM0.16m | 2:11AM0.09m | |||||||
— | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 7 | NE 6 | SSE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 9 | ESE 6 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 9 | S 10 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
14 | 13 | 62 | 5 | 37 | 45 | 50 | 207 | 55 | 231 | 138 | 129 | 46 | 49 | 222 | 193 | 232 | 302 | 248 | 254 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 11 | SE 7 | E 10 | ENE 9 | E 7 | S 12 | S 15 | S 11 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | S 10 | S 16 | S 10 | SSW 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 |
3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 108 | 212 | 205 | 84 | 86 | 69 | 20 | 29 | 56 | 78 | 36 | 21 | 21 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 13 | E 11 | S 10 | E 8 | E 9 | S 7 | — | ENE 7 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | S 16 | S 10 | NE 14 | N 13 | N 13 | S 16 | S 4 |
2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | 62 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 43 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NNW 5 | NE 6 | S 2 | S 4 | SSE 4 | E 6 | E 6 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | N 3 | NE 8 | NE 6 | — | — | — | SSW 3 | S 4 | — |
71 | 112 | 23 | 53 | 1 | 28 | 21 | 122 | 120 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 180 | 203 | — | — | — | 3 | 12 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 128 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 39 | 345 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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











