
Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SE swell with 1,742 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period with SE 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 9s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright, let's get into it. This is your local surf outlook from me, Rusty.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—there's a long, flat spell to start. We’re looking at a pretty dismal run from now all the way through Thursday the 17th. You'll see a few tiny bumps, but nothing that's worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting at 20° at Emerald Beach, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real sign of life doesn't show up until Friday morning, July 17th. We've got a solid pulse of 10ft swell coming out of the SE with a period of 10 seconds. That’s a lot of water moving. The combined energy is pumping at 1745 (moderate wave energy), but here’s the kicker: for Emerald Beach, a point break that works best on a NE swell, this is just too much. The swell is predicted to be too big for this break. It might look wild, but it's gonna be a washing machine out there.
That swell sticks around through the weekend and into Monday, July 20th. The swell heights stay up around 8ft to 10ft. The offshore winds on Saturday morning the 18th look clean at 16 mph from the S, and the waves are set at 8ft from the ESE with 10-second periods. The energy is strong at 1072. That's excellent surf, but only for experienced surfers. Beginners should sit this one out.
The real standout, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Tuesday, July 21st. We’ve got a 8ft swell rolling in from the ESE, but the period bumps up to 13 seconds. That's a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy is sky-high at 2377 (strong wave energy). Morning offshore winds from the SSW at 9 mph will keep the surface clean. This is the best of the best on offer. It’s still big, so only for the experienced crew, but the quality is there. Expect excellent conditions.
Wednesday the 22nd keeps the good times rolling with a 7ft swell from the ESE and a 13-second period. Offshore winds in the morning from the S at 6 mph. More excellent conditions for experienced surfers.
After that, the swell slowly backs off. Thursday the 23rd brings 5ft waves from the ESE, which is much more manageable for a wider range of surfers. The winds are light, and the conditions look very good. Friday the 24th glassy morning with 4ft from the ESE, a good option for an intermediate. Saturday morning the 25th is glassy again with a clean 4ft from the ESE. For a point break like Emerald Beach, those longer period swells (12-14 seconds) can break a bit straight, but with the right tide, it’ll be quality.
So to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The second week is where it’s at. The absolute standout is Tuesday the 21st, with Wednesday the 22nd as a close second. Big, clean, and powerful. Don't sleep on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | N 4 | E 10 | S 8 | E 10 | E 10 | S 9 | SSE 8 | NE 10 | NNE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
400 | 305 | 175 | 122 | 56 | 30 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1742 | 1676 | 1447 | 1072 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 5:26PM1.62m | 5:46AM1.02m | 6:22PM1.74m | 6:48AM1.05m | 7:16PM1.84m | 7:44AM1.08m | 8:07PM1.89m | 8:36AM1.12m | 8:55PM1.89m | 9:26AM1.15m | 9:42PM1.82m | 10:15AM1.17m | 10:27PM1.71m | 11:04AM1.19m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:13AM0.20m | 11:34AM0.11m | 1:11AM0.09m | 12:30PM0.06m | 2:04AM0.01m | 1:24PM0.03m | 2:53AM-0.03m | 2:15PM0.02m | 3:40AM-0.04m | 3:06PM0.04m | 4:23AM-0.02m | 3:56PM0.11m | 5:05AM0.02m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | |
5:01 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | 5:05 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Temp °C | 17 | 14 | 21 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 19 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | NE 10 | NNE 9 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 18 | ESE 10 |
400 | 305 | 175 | 122 | 56 | 74 | 76 | 51 | 11 | 19 | 28 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 8 | 13 | 48 | 24 | 1072 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | N 5 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | — | — | S 14 | NE 8 | SSW 12 | S 23 | SSW 21 |
158 | 86 | 59 | 40 | 2 | 30 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 15 | 3 | 28 | 10 | 83 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | — | S 16 | N 4 | E 10 | SSE 8 | ESE 10 | S 12 | N 4 | E 10 | S 17 | N 10 | N 10 | — | — | — | S 14 | — | — | S 23 | — |
6 | — | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 10 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | — | S 8 | — | — | — | S 4 | S 4 | — | S 6 | S 6 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | S 7 |
— | 3 | 11 | — | 48 | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | — | 198 | 402 | 1820 | 1076 | 709 | 674 | 1742 | 1676 | 1447 | 192 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 39 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 83 | 166 | 98 | 114 | 13 | 98 | 53 | 40 | 85 | 53 | 53 | 212 | 21 | 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











