Emerald Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 30.18° S 153.19° E

Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 05 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Emerald Beach sea temperature is
19.7° C
0.3° 

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 5 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, NNE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, N swell with 478 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s is also forecast. 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 2.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 14s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Thu 6th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 8s
Best Surf 1PM (Mon 10th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 7s
Most Powerful10AM (Mon 10th Aug)7ft (2.1m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this is one of those outlooks where you might want to keep the board in the bag for a while. We’re looking at a pretty flat and quiet stretch ahead for Emerald Beach. The water temp is sitting around 68°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are a write-off. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are offering tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. We’re talking knee-high dribble at best. Friday the 7th sees a bit of a bump, but it’s still just small, weak stuff. The real story is the lack of any decent swell energy.

Saturday morning the 8th might be the best we’ve got in the near term. The wind is light and clean, there’s a tiny bit of energy (100 on the scale), but honestly, it’s still just surfable, not good. The swell is a pathetic 3 ft from the ENE with a short period.

Sunday the 9th gets a bit more energy (222 to 249), but the wind is howling onshore, making it a choppy mess. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, Monday the 10th is the only real standout in the whole 16 days, and it’s a bit of a weird one. The morning brings a 7 ft swell from the north, but it’s short-period and lumpy with cross-shore wind. The afternoon, however, is glassy. The swell drops to 4 ft from the NNE. It’s clean, but it’s a short-period swell, so the waves will be a bit weak and crumbly. It’s the best on offer, but that’s a low bar.

After that, it’s back to tiny, weak waves all the way through to the 20th. The energy drops way down, and the wind is a mixed bag. There’s a long gap of nothing really worth chasing from the 11th right through to the 20th. The swell on the 20th picks up a bit (252) but it’s from the SE with a long 13-second period, which can be tricky at a beach break, and the wind is howling onshore again. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

So, if you’re desperate, Monday afternoon the 10th is your window. Otherwise, it’s a long stretch of flatness. The forecasts can change, but for now, it’s looking pretty grim.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Sun afternoon, calm by Mon afternoon).

Wed
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
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
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
2
0
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
E
9
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
E
9
0.7
E
6
0.6
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
7
0.7
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
8
0.9
E
8
1.2
E
9
1.1
ENE
9
1.1
ENE
9
2
NNE
6
2.1
N
7
1.2
NNE
7
0.7
ENE
9
0.8
ENE
9
0.8
ENE
9
0.8
ENE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
61
22
25
25
36
34
54
40
64
113
225
202
216
292
478
153
86
118
115
123
Wind (km/h)
10
ESE
20
SW
15
SSW
10
SE
10
WSW
0
N
10
E
10
SW
5
S
10
ESE
10
NW
20
NNW
30
NNE
25
NNW
15
WNW
0
NNE
10
WNW
5
NNE
25
NE
10
W
Wind State
cross
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross
glassy
on
cross-off
High Tide
00:40AM1.13m
1:47PM1.33m
1:49AM1.01m
2:58PM1.40m
3:12AM0.94m
4:09PM1.49m
4:34AM0.94m
5:14PM1.61m
5:44AM0.99m
6:12PM1.72m
6:42AM1.06m
7:04PM1.80m
Low Tide
6:52PM0.42m
6:59AM0.20m
8:13PM0.44m
7:58AM0.24m
9:44PM0.40m
9:08AM0.25m
11:05PM0.31m
10:20AM0.22m
00:09AM0.19m
11:25AM0.16m
1:02AM0.09m
12:23PM0.09m
1:48AM0.01m
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:28
6:28
6:28
6:26
6:26
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:15
5:16
5:16
5:17
5:19
5:19
 mm
Temp °C
17
15
15
16
15
17
17
15
17
17
16
19
19
16
19
18
12
16
16
12
Feels °C
15
13
13
14
13
15
15
14
15
15
15
15
14
12
14
16
9
13
11
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Emerald Beach:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Emerald Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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

Nearest locationNearest