
Surf Forecasts:
Fairhaven surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 12,736 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fairhaven this week:
The surf forecast for Fairhaven over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Fairhaven in the next 16 days are 5.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) 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 0.7m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fairhaven over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a bit of a slow starter, but the heart of the run is a prolonged wall of southwest groundswell that’s going to be massive. The first real window of opportunity kicks off Monday afternoon, July 20th, at Fairhaven. It’s a rarely breaks spot, so when it switches on, you pay attention. We’re looking at a 4ft southwest swell, with a very long 15-second period, giving it serious energy (529). The water’s sitting at 58°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The wind is a light cross-off at 6 mph, keeping things clean. This is a beginner-friendly, gentle start. Solid.
Tuesday morning, July 21st, the swell jumps to 6ft, still from the southwest, with a 13-second period. The wave energy is pumping up to 1144, and the wind is still a light cross-off. It’s shaping up to be very good. Tuesday afternoon holds at 6ft, shifting slightly west of southwest, still clean with a gentle cross-off breeze.
Wednesday morning, July 22nd, the swell drops a touch to 5ft, but the wind picks up to 12 mph. It’s still clean, but the energy is dropping. Wednesday afternoon sees a bigger 6ft swell, but the wind goes cross-shore, and we get some rain showers, adding a little chop. It’s still surfable, but not as pristine.
Now, here’s the kicker. From Thursday, July 23rd, through the end of the month, the swell just goes nuts. We’re talking 13ft, then 16ft, with combined energy readings hitting 9904, 21016, 17184… this is huge, powerful southwest groundswell. The wind is mostly cross-off, keeping it clean, but the height is well over 8ft. This is expert-only territory. The waves will be barreling, but it’s too big for beginners, and even for most intermediates, it’s a serious mission. For a rarely-breaking spot like Fairhaven, this is a full-on, world-class event, but you need to be on your game.
The crowd profile here is “often,” so expect plenty of company, especially with conditions this good.
After that massive pulse, things settle down. Sunday, July 26th, we’re back to 10ft and then 8ft, but the wind is still cross-off, so it’s clean, though the energy is dropping. The following week, from July 27th onward, the swell sits between 7ft and 8ft, with mostly light to moderate winds. The real standout in the second week is Saturday, August 1st. We get a 8ft southwest swell, with the wind going full offshore from the north-northeast at 9 mph. The wave energy is solid at 2040, and the period is 13 seconds. This is clean, powerful, and lined up. Sunday morning, August 2nd, is also a beauty with a 8ft southwest swell, 14-second period, and a moderate offshore wind. The conditions are excellent for experienced surfers.
The best of the best? That’s tough. The 16ft days on July 24th are a pure adrenaline rush, but only for the brave. For the best combination of size, shape, and perfect wind, I’d point you to Saturday, August 1st. The offshore wind on a 8ft, long-period southwest swell is just about as good as it gets around here. Don’t sleep on it.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 15 | WSW 15 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
496 | 576 | 1144 | 932 | 527 | 635 | 1126 | 2124 | 6237 | 4903 | 8408 | 12049 | 10484 | 8108 | 6376 | 4782 | 3288 | 2078 | 1736 | 1141 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 4:20AM1.76m | 4:19PM1.88m | 5:07AM1.72m | 4:51PM1.79m | 5:54AM1.66m | 5:22PM1.68m | 6:43AM1.59m | 5:54PM1.58m | 7:36AM1.53m | 6:27PM1.48m | 8:40AM1.49m | 7:09PM1.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:07PM0.24m | 10:13AM0.48m | 10:47PM0.22m | 10:55AM0.63m | 11:25PM0.25m | 11:35AM0.76m | 00:02AM0.30m | 12:17PM0.89m | 00:42AM0.37m | 1:05PM1.00m | 1:28AM0.43m | 2:08PM1.09m | 2:22AM0.48m | |||||||
— | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | WSW 15 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 |
496 | 576 | 1144 | 932 | 527 | 635 | 864 | 2017 | 3667 | 4067 | 6619 | 8967 | 6638 | 5432 | 4020 | 3371 | 2227 | 1328 | 1162 | 1141 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | E 11 | — | E 11 | WSW 12 | E 10 | E 10 | — | — | S 13 | — | — | SSE 14 | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | — |
19 | 2 | — | 2 | 119 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 62 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 26 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | E 11 | — | — | E 11 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
14 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | WNW 3 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | — |
— | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1126 | 2124 | 6237 | 4903 | 8408 | 12049 | 10484 | 8108 | 6376 | 4782 | 3288 | 2078 | 1736 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 539 | 574 | 25 | 538 | 535 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Fairhaven Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fairhaven provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fairhaven can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fairhaven 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 (Fairhaven) 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 Fairhaven 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.
Fairhaven is 44 km (27 miles) from the city of Geelong. If you plan a holiday in Torquay, look for hotels and other accommodation in Geelong. Geelong has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










