Surf Forecasts:
Forster Beach surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, NNE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 7s period, SSE swell with 414 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with SE 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s is also forecast. 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 2.0m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Forster Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for this stretch we’ve got coming up. I gotta be straight with you, it’s a bit of a slow burn to start, with a lot of small, messy junk in the water before we finally see something with a bit of life.
Right now, and for the next several days, it’s pretty grim. Forster Beach is seeing a lot of crummy, onshore wind and weak, short-period swell. There’s a long gap of poor surf until we get to the morning of Tuesday, the 25th. That morning, we finally get a glimmer of hope. The wind will turn glassy with a light WNW breeze, and the swell comes up to 5ft from the NE. The water is sitting at a normal 66°F for this time of year. The combined wave energy will be moderate at 300, and for a beginner spot like this, that’s a nice bump. Surf will be clean and rideable.
Now, if you’re a bit more experienced, keep your eye on the following week. The real standout is shaping up for the morning of Friday, the 28th. Forster Beach will have clean, glassy conditions with a 4ft swell rolling in from the south. The period hits 11 seconds, giving it some proper grunt and shape, with a solid moderate energy reading of 403. It’s a beautiful little window of clean, lined-up waves before the crowds roll in.
The end of the period gets wild and it’s not for everyone. By the 31st of August and into September, we see a massive spike in size. On the morning of the 2nd of September, the swell is a chunky 12ft from the SSE with a long 12-second period. The wave energy is off the charts at 3555. But here’s the kicker: it’s going to be way too big for most, and the strong cross-shore winds make it a beast. Honestly, at that size and with that chop, it’s looking more interesting for the kite-surfing crew than paddle surfing. The conditions are still poor for a clean paddle.
So, if you want the best of it, get on the Tuesday morning glass-off on the 25th for a fun, easy session, or circle the Friday morning on the 28th for the real quality. The big stuff at the end is for the brave and the geared up only.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | SE 8 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 8 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 13 | S 10 | S 11 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 101 | 75 | 143 | 154 | 51 | 35 | 40 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 30 | 94 | 85 | 130 | 114 | 162 | 135 | 110 | 129 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | off | cross | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:00AM1.11m | 1:48PM1.36m | 1:53AM1.02m | 2:43PM1.36m | 2:58AM0.96m | 3:42PM1.38m | 4:10AM0.96m | 4:41PM1.42m | 5:22AM1.00m | 5:34PM1.48m | 6:19AM1.07m | 6:20PM1.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:51AM0.53m | 8:25PM0.69m | 7:41AM0.59m | 9:55PM0.68m | 8:46AM0.62m | 11:11PM0.61m | 9:57AM0.62m | 00:01AM0.52m | 11:01AM0.58m | 00:39AM0.43m | 11:54AM0.52m | 1:12AM0.34m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 |
Temp °C | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | S 10 | ENE 5 | E 6 | S 11 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 101 | 75 | 29 | 106 | 51 | 35 | 40 | 27 | 28 | 16 | 19 | 94 | 40 | 47 | 114 | 162 | 135 | 110 | 129 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 10 | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 10 | ENE 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 |
| kJ | 19 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 30 | 49 | 66 | 130 | 52 | 112 | 102 | 66 | 39 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | — | S 14 | ESE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 4 | — | E 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 18 | S 13 | ENE 8 | S 16 | ENE 9 | NNE 6 | S 16 | S 16 |
| kJ | 11 | — | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 8 | 16 | 27 | 85 | 43 | 47 | 73 | 30 | 44 | 42 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | — | — | SW 4 | — | S 3 | — | SE 3 | ESE 3 | — | NW 3 | E 6 | — | — | S 3 | S 4 |
| kJ | 37 | 64 | 143 | 154 | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | 25 | — | — | 1 | 13 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 34 | 267 | 0 | 17 | 250 | 20 | 59 | 236 | 69 | 13 | 234 | 34 | 15 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 15 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Port Macquarie | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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