
Surf Forecasts:
Forster Beach surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, E swell with 2,056 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Forster Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Forster Beach 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 1.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Forster Beach in the next 16 days are 3.0m 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 1.1m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Forster Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. This is your local surf reporter Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s coming up for Forster Beach.
First up, the long-term picture. Honestly, for the next week and a half, it’s a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a real slow start, and then a lot of junky, cross-onshore chop that’s just not going to deliver anything clean. The first real hope doesn’t appear until the morning of Tuesday, 22 July, and even that’s small. The standout window is shaping up to be the very end of the run, from the morning of Wednesday, 29 July, through to the afternoon of Friday, 31 July. That’s your best bet. For the first week plus, there’s a real gap of surfable, clean waves.
Let’s start with the early days. Friday, 17 July, through to Monday, 20 July, is a write-off. We’re looking at rain showers, strong cross-onshore winds from the SSE and SE at 20 km/h, and a messy, choppy surface. The swell is a mix of short-period ESE and E windswell, running 5 ft to 6 ft, but the combined energy is moderate (355 to 632). The water temp is 67°, which is about average for this time of year. Not worth getting wet.
Things start to look a little better on Tuesday morning, 22 July. It’s small, with a 4 ft ENE swell, but the wind goes glassy—literally calm, from the NW at 5 km/h. That’s clean, but the wave energy is weak (282), so it’s a longboard or a funboard kind of morning. A few others might be out, but nothing too crowded.
Wednesday, 23 July, and Thursday, 24 July, are a mixed bag. Wednesday morning has a clean, cross-offshore wind, but the swell is tiny at 3 ft. Thursday morning is similarly clean but small at 4 ft. Not much to write home about.
The real action starts on Wednesday, 29 July. That morning, the forecast shows a solid 10 ft S groundswell, with a period of 11 seconds, and a NNW wind of 10 km/h giving us a clean, cross-offshore flow. The combined energy is strong (2093). This is a big, powerful swell, and it’s only for experienced surfers; beginners, stay on the beach. This kind of longer-period swell works best at a reef or point, and Forster Beach is a beach break, so it might be a bit unruly. The afternoon drops to 7 ft with a cross-on wind, so the morning is the window.
Then, on Friday, 31 July, we get another standout. The morning sees a 7 ft S swell with a 9-second period, and a clean offshore wind from the W at 10 km/h. The afternoon is even better: 8 ft S swell, 10-second period, and glassy conditions with a light WSW wind. The combined energy is very strong (1062). This is your best bet for the whole 16 days. Expect very good, clean conditions. Crowds are possible at Forster Beach, so get there early.
Saturday, 1 August, drops off with a moderate breeze and smaller swell.
So, the standout is clear: Friday, 31 July, morning and afternoon. That’s the one to pencil in. Wednesday, 29 July morning is also a big swell for the experienced crew.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
186 | 244 | 166 | 212 | 428 | 2056 | 1680 | 1301 | 913 | 711 | 680 | 586 | 533 | 407 | 358 | 227 | 188 | 158 | 119 | 128 | 601 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 10:39AM1.33m | 10:43PM1.75m | 11:24AM1.34m | 11:27PM1.63m | 12:10PM1.34m | 00:11AM1.49m | 12:56PM1.34m | 00:55AM1.35m | 1:44PM1.34m | 1:40AM1.22m | 2:34PM1.35m | 2:30AM1.12m | 3:26PM1.38m | 3:25AM1.04m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:10PM0.34m | 5:13AM0.21m | 5:00PM0.41m | 5:53AM0.28m | 5:51PM0.50m | 6:33AM0.36m | 6:45PM0.59m | 7:13AM0.44m | 7:48PM0.66m | 7:55AM0.50m | 9:01PM0.69m | 8:41AM0.53m | 10:21PM0.68m | ||||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | |
— | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | S 10 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 9 |
91 | 19 | 166 | 212 | 428 | 2056 | 1680 | 1301 | 913 | 711 | 680 | 586 | 533 | 407 | 358 | 227 | 188 | 158 | 119 | 116 | 601 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 15 | S 11 | S 11 | S 20 | SSE 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 10 | S 10 | ENE 9 |
54 | 39 | 39 | 56 | 71 | 122 | 158 | 135 | 167 | 187 | 229 | 157 | 112 | 81 | 50 | 31 | 30 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 92 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 19 | S 20 | S 21 | S 18 | S 10 | — | S 8 | SE 16 | SE 16 | SE 15 | S 20 | S 15 | SSE 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | — | — | S 16 |
24 | 28 | 8 | 79 | 6 | 18 | — | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 3 | 36 | — | — | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | SE 7 | S 8 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 4 | N 4 | — | — | SW 4 | S 6 | — |
186 | 244 | 71 | 113 | 127 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 15 | 10 | — | — | 21 | 128 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 149 | 150 | 5 | 181 | 284 | 201 | 201 | 106 | 5 | 69 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 284 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Forster Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Forster Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Forster Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Forster 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 (Forster 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 Forster 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 Port Macquarie? If you are looking for accommodation near Forster Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Port Macquarie, consider staying in Forster which is 5 km (3 miles) away. Other places in and around Port Macquarie where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Taree which is 34 km (21 miles) away, Port Stephens, Port Macquarie and North Shore.










