Forster Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.20° S 152.54° E

Forster Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Forster Beach sea temperature is
18.7° C
0.1° 

Forster Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Forster Beach surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period, S swell with 393 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period with ESE 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 (Aug 18) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Forster Beach in the next 16 days are 1.2m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) 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 0.5m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Tue 18th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 8s
Best Surf10PM (Tue 18th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 8s
Most Powerful 1AM (Mon 17th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 12s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Forster Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s comin’ up for Forster Beach over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be honest—it ain’t a classic stretch. Forster Beach is a beginner-friendly spot, fairly exposed to swell, but most of this 16-day run is ordinary with only a few windows worth paddlin’ out. The water temp’s sittin’ at 66°F right now, which is about average for this time of year.

First real chance of anythin’ decent shows on Wednesday the 19th of August in the morning. There’s a clean little 3ft swell from the ESE, period around 10 seconds, and the wind’s off from the WNW at just 3 mph. That’s proper clean. Combined wave energy is moderate at 262. Surfable but ordinary—but if you’re itchin’, that’s your best look for the early part.

Then we hit a long gap. From Wednesday afternoon through to Saturday the 22nd, it’s all cross-on or cross-off winds, choppy or lumpy, with swells mostly under 4ft and short periods. Not worth your time. There’s a brief moment Friday the 21st of August in the morning when it goes glassy—3ft from the ENE, period only 6 seconds, weak energy at 81. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Crowds can pop up here, but on a day like that you might have it quiet.

The next standout rolls in Monday the 24th of August in the morning. A long-period S swell comes in at 2ft but with a period of 19 seconds—that’s proper groundswell. Combined energy’s moderate at 281, and the wind’s cross-off from the NW at 6 mph, keepin’ it clean. This is the kind of swell that’ll offer some fun lines, especially for a beginner-friendly spot. Just note that long-period swell can break a bit fast on a beach setup, but it’s still your best session of the first week.

After that, the second week gets more interestin’ but with strong winds. Tuesday the 25th of August morning sees a 5ft S swell, period 9 seconds, and cross-off WSW wind at 16 mph—clean but marginal. The afternoon bumps up to 5ft from the S, period 12 seconds, with a 19 mph cross-off—clean but fresh. Combined energy goes strong at 752. That’s over 5ft, so only for those with some experience.

Wednesday the 26th of August is the real highlight. Morning has a 5ft S swell, period 12 seconds, with a strong offshore wind from the W at 19 mph. Combined energy is strong at 742. The afternoon holds similar—5ft S swell, 11 seconds, offshore at 22 mph. That’s fresh offshore and clean. This is your pick of the fortnight. Swell direction matches the spot’s optimum from the S, and offshore wind makes for smooth faces. It’s over 5ft, so more suited to intermediate and above. Crowds are possible, but the offshore wind might keep ’em down.

Then it all fades. From Thursday the 27th onward, swells drop under 3ft, periods get short or mixed, and it’s mostly cross-off winds keepin’ it clean but small. Energy drops into the double digits by the 30th. Not worth the drive.

So, bottom line: If you can, hit Wednesday the 26th of August in the morning—clean, offshore, decent size, proper energy. Otherwise, Monday the 24th of August in the morning for the long-period glass. The rest is a write-off.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri afternoon).

Sun
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
S
17
1.2
S
12
0.9
S
11
1.5
ESE
7
1.5
ESE
7
1.3
ESE
7
1.3
ESE
8
1.1
ESE
8
0.8
ESE
10
1.3
ESE
10
1.2
ESE
9
1.1
E
7
1.2
ENE
6
1.1
NE
6
0.9
ENE
6
0.8
ENE
6
0.7
NE
6
0.7
NE
6
0.7
NE
7
0.6
ENE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
151
393
185
204
218
193
187
161
118
290
232
117
103
92
71
51
40
40
44
30
Wind (km/h)
15
SSE
15
SE
10
SSE
20
ESE
15
ENE
15
ESE
15
ESE
5
W
5
WNW
20
NE
15
NNW
15
NNE
30
NE
15
N
5
NW
10
SSW
15
NNW
10
W
25
SSE
10
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
off
off
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross
High Tide
10:55PM1.51m
11:30AM1.42m
11:34PM1.37m
12:12PM1.39m
00:15AM1.23m
12:57PM1.37m
1:00AM1.11m
1:48PM1.36m
1:53AM1.02m
2:43PM1.36m
2:58AM0.96m
3:42PM1.38m
Low Tide
4:37PM0.37m
5:06AM0.30m
5:22PM0.46m
5:39AM0.38m
6:12PM0.55m
6:12AM0.46m
7:11PM0.64m
6:51AM0.53m
8:25PM0.69m
7:41AM0.59m
9:55PM0.68m
8:46AM0.62m
11:11PM0.61m
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
mod rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:24
6:22
6:22
6:20
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:24
5:24
5:25
 mm
1
1
1
5
7
1
2
1
Temp °C
17
16
16
15
17
17
17
16
17
17
16
18
18
16
19
18
16
20
18
16
Feels °C
14
13
13
12
14
14
15
15
14
14
14
14
13
13
15
16
14
18
13
14
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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