
Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, NNE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, NNE swell with 407 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with E 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m 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 2.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 10s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty quiet for the most part, but there are a couple of windows that’ll get the heart rate up. Hang tight, because the first real push is a bit further out.
We start off in the here and now, and honestly, it’s flat out pretty weak. Through Wednesday the 5th, we’ve got some small, short-period windswell around 2ft. The morning’s actually glassy with a light SSE air, which is nice, but there’s just not enough energy to get excited about. The water temp is 68°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The next few days, Thursday the 6th through Sunday the 9th, are a real grind. Swell stays tiny, mostly under 3ft, and the energy is weak (47 to 232 in the combined energy). There are some clean windows with offshore or glassy conditions, but it’s just not doing anything. Sunday afternoon gets a bit of a pulse, but the wind swings onshore and it gets messy. Not worth your time unless you’re desperate for a splash.
Monday the 10th is the first sign of something more. We see a bump in swell to 6ft on the Monday morning, but it’s from the NNE and only a 7-second period, so it’s messy, and the 12 mph crosswind chops it up. Not a surf day. The afternoon drops back down.
Then the middle of the week, Tuesday the 11th through Thursday the 13th, is back to the doldrums. Tiny waves, under 3ft, with clean mornings but just no push. The energy is low, around 50 to 146. You’re just waiting.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The first real standout window is the morning of Saturday the 15th of August. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the SE with a 9-second period, and the wind is a moderate offshore from the S. That’s a recipe for clean, lined-up waves at Emerald Beach. The combined energy is 207, which is a solid step up. This is your best bet in the entire first week and a half.
And then, the following morning, Sunday the 16th of August, is the clear winner. The swell pushes to 4ft from the SE with an 11-second period, and we’ve got that same moderate offshore wind from the S. The energy jumps to 429, which is the strongest we see. This is the pick of the fortnight. It’s not huge, but it’s clean, has some push, and should be properly fun. The swell direction from the SE lines up nicely with what this joint likes.
The rest of the second week, from Monday the 17th onwards, fades back into small, clean but weak surf. The 2ft range with 10-second periods, and low energy. It’s surfable but nothing to write home about.
So, to be clear: if you’ve got time, the Saturday morning is good, but the standout is the Sunday the 16th, first light. That’s the one. For a point break like this, that longer period and offshore wind will make it worth the paddle.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the W by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 9 | NE 7 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
88 | 61 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 35 | 42 | 65 | 49 | 49 | 107 | 225 | 181 | 173 | 237 | 319 | 115 | 62 | 131 | 125 | 118 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:44PM1.29m | 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 | ||||||||
6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
Feels °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | E 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
88 | 61 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 35 | 42 | 65 | 49 | 49 | 107 | 225 | 181 | 173 | 173 | 319 | 115 | 62 | 131 | 164 | 194 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | S 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 9 | E 8 | SSE 9 | NE 9 | S 7 | S 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NNE 7 | S 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 |
13 | 15 | 22 | 25 | 40 | 48 | 57 | 56 | 90 | 63 | 71 | 27 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 106 | 108 | 38 | 87 | 125 | 118 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NE 8 | E 10 | S 12 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 10 | S 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSE 8 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | ENE 11 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | S 12 |
5 | 16 | 18 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 58 | 41 | 7 | 38 | 29 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 15 | 9 | 103 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 6 | S 4 | SSE 4 | SSW 5 | SW 3 | ESE 4 | SE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | — | NNW 2 | NE 4 | NNE 6 | WNW 4 | W 3 | WSW 3 | W 4 | — | WNW 2 |
— | — | 29 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | 59 | 237 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 2 | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 39 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 2 | 16 | 345 | 268 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 231 | 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











