
Surf Forecasts:
Fingal Bay surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, E swell with 1,613 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fingal Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Fingal Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 11s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Fingal Bay in the next 16 days are 2.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 10s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fingal Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer for the upcoming stretch at Fingal Bay.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a bit of a rough one. We're looking at a long, dry spell before we get anything worth paddling out for. The first good opportunity won't pop up until the 20th of July, so over a week of waiting. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year.
The first bit of hope shows up on Monday morning, the 20th of July. We've got a 6ft swell rolling in from the East, with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is moderate (793). The problem is the wind is coming straight across from the ESE, making it a bit lumpy and messy. It's a marginal call at best, and the score reflects that. Not a standout, but if you're desperate, it's the first option.
The next sniff of something comes on Tuesday morning, the 21st of July. The swell has dropped to a tiny 2ft, but it's a longer period South swell at 11 seconds. The energy is weak (102). The big plus here is the wind is light and offshore from the NNW. The conditions will be clean, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. It's a surfable but very ordinary session.
Honestly, for the rest of the period, the pattern is more of the same – small, messy, or both. We see a few pulses of bigger swell, like Sunday the 19th with 8ft from the East and strong energy (1243), but the wind is a cross-on 15 mph, making it a choppy, poor mess. That's a sign of a spot that's probably more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle guys.
Looking further out, we get a bit of a tease on Saturday the 25th of July. There's a tiny 1ft South swell, but the period is a massive 19 seconds. That's very long period groundswell, but it's just too small to do anything with. The wind is light and offshore, so it'll be glassy, but you'll be waiting an eternity between sets for a knee-high wave.
The last chance in the window is on Saturday, the 1st of August. A 3ft South swell with a 10-second period and a light offshore breeze from the NNE. The energy is weak (120). It's clean, but again, very small. It's a surfable but ordinary option.
The Takeaway: There's no real standout in this 16-day window. The best bet is to keep an eye on the Tuesday morning (21st July) for a clean, small wave if you've got a log. The long period groundswell on the 25th is a promise of a better day, but it's too small to deliver. The forecasts can change, but right now, it's a week of waiting for marginal conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Sat night, light winds from the ESE by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | SSW 5 | S 10 | S 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
135 | 163 | 222 | 229 | 1613 | 1081 | 951 | 792 | 596 | 180 | 116 | 82 | 55 | 49 | 31 | 31 | 20 | 26 | 11 | 164 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:40PM1.83m | 11:27AM1.41m | 11:24PM1.69m | 12:13PM1.41m | 00:07AM1.52m | 1:00PM1.41m | 00:51AM1.36m | 1:51PM1.41m | 1:38AM1.21m | 2:45PM1.42m | 2:35AM1.10m | 3:43PM1.45m | 3:47AM1.02m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:21PM0.39m | 5:20AM0.17m | 5:11PM0.46m | 6:00AM0.26m | 6:03PM0.55m | 6:39AM0.36m | 7:00PM0.63m | 7:17AM0.45m | 8:03PM0.69m | 7:56AM0.52m | 9:18PM0.72m | 8:38AM0.57m | 10:35PM0.70m | |||||||
— | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | |
mm | — | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | S 11 | S 11 | E 8 | S 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 9 |
135 | 40 | 82 | 229 | 27 | 1081 | 951 | 792 | 596 | 459 | 416 | 349 | 294 | 248 | 149 | 113 | 86 | 86 | 64 | 164 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 20 | S 21 | S 20 | S 19 | S 18 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 5 | S 10 | ENE 9 |
33 | 33 | 79 | 70 | 113 | 150 | 183 | 168 | 187 | 180 | 116 | 82 | 55 | 49 | 31 | 31 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 61 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | — | S 18 | S 18 | — | S 8 | S 8 | SE 17 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 15 | — | S 10 | E 5 | S 15 |
25 | — | 6 | 6 | — | 12 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 4 | — | 8 | 1 | 18 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 7 | ESE 7 | S 5 | E 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | WNW 3 | — | SW 2 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | — |
— | 163 | 222 | 66 | 1613 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | — | 1 | 26 | 11 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 41 | 41 | 203 | 215 | 133 | 174 | 133 | 53 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 304 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 47 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Fingal Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fingal Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fingal Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fingal Bay 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 (Fingal Bay) 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 Fingal Bay 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.
Fingal Bay is 12 km (7 miles) from the city of Port Stephens. If you plan a holiday in Newcastle, look for hotels and other accommodation in Port Stephens. Port Stephens has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










