Surf Forecasts:
Emerald Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, E swell with 71 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s 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 0.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emerald Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a good, hard look at what we've got on the cards for Emerald Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it's looking grim. For the first week and a half, there's barely a ripple worth paddling for. The waves are tiny, mostly around the 2 ft mark, and the energy readings are weak, sitting in the 30s and 40s. It's not gonna get your heart pumping.
There are a few windows – like early next week – where the wind goes glassy or clean offshore, making for a pretty surface. But the problem is the wave height just isn't there. It's the kind of setup where you could sit on a longboard and bob around, but don't expect to get any real speed down the line.
Things get a little more interesting on the 3rd of September. A small pulse of swell comes in at 4 ft, but the period is a terrible 5 seconds and it's coming from the NNE with onshore wind. That's a complete mess – short, wonky, blown-out slop. Not surfable in any fun way.
The only faint glimmer in this whole forecast comes in the second week. On the morning of the 12th of September, we see a bit of a bump from the north at 3 ft. It's still small, and the combined energy is a weak 60, but the wind is clean. It might just be a novelty session for the die-hards. But really, for the entire 16-day window, there's nothing here that I'd drive across town for.
The water temp is sitting at a fairly average 68°, so no surprises there.
Bottom line: This is one of those bleak runs that's normal for the area when the swell windows just don't line up. Forecasts can change, but for now, I'd be finding something else to do.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 41 | 35 | 39 | 42 | 45 | 37 | 22 | 47 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 53 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 47 | 45 | 47 | 65 | 60 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 8:13PM1.60m | 8:38AM1.27m | 8:46PM1.57m | 9:14AM1.34m | 9:20PM1.51m | 9:52AM1.39m | 9:57PM1.41m | 10:33AM1.41m | 10:38PM1.28m | 11:20AM1.42m | 11:26PM1.14m | 12:16PM1.41m | 00:26AM1.00m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:51PM0.13m | 2:41AM0.05m | 2:30PM0.12m | 3:11AM0.03m | 3:10PM0.14m | 3:41AM0.03m | 3:54PM0.17m | 4:14AM0.06m | 4:42PM0.23m | 4:50AM0.11m | 5:38PM0.30m | 5:33AM0.18m | 6:47PM0.37m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 27 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 12 | SSE 10 | S 10 | ENE 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 10 | ENE 9 | S 18 | S 16 | S 8 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | NNE 6 |
| kJ | 341 | 865 | 443 | 346 | 45 | 37 | 22 | 47 | 28 | 222 | 264 | 137 | 227 | 217 | 246 | 189 | 144 | 72 | 75 | 53 | 60 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | N 7 | N 10 | ENE 10 | S 10 | S 17 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | S 16 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 340 | 35 | 39 | 42 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 24 | 396 | 53 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 47 | 45 | 47 | 47 | 48 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | NE 11 | S 13 | N 11 | — | — | NE 15 | NE 15 | S 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | ENE 11 | S 15 | S 15 | NE 12 | NE 4 | NE 11 | S 13 | NE 11 | SSE 13 | S 10 |
| kJ | 41 | 5 | 31 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 73 | 68 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 5 | 17 | 51 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 3 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 9 | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 4 | — | NE 4 | N 4 | N 4 | NNE 5 | N 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 4 | 530 | 698 | 465 | 340 | 326 | 409 | 335 | — | — | 9 | 28 | — | 4 | 4 | 11 | 65 | 40 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 85 | 5 | 21 | 85 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 389 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 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
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