Forster Beach (Nambucca) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a squiz at what’s comin’ up for Forster Beach (Nambucca).

Straight up, the start of this outlook is a bit of a shocker for a paddler. Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th have big, powerful surf – we’re talkin’ 8ft to 12ft of solid south swell. The wave energy is massive (846 up to 3337), but the problem is the swell’s just too meaty for this spot. It’s gonna be a washing machine. Wind is cross-off on Wednesday morning with a fresh 19 mph breeze, but by afternoon that southerly rips up to 25 mph. Thursday’s a bit cleaner with moderate breezes, but again, 10ft+ is expert-only territory. For a beginner-friendly zone like this, I’d give it a miss.

The water temp is sittin’ around 70°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no dramas there.

Friday the 18th drops right off. We’re down to 5ft on the morning with a cross-on easterly. It’s messy. By afternoon the onshore northeasterly kicks up and swell fades, so forget it. There’s a real gap here; from Friday afternoon right through Monday morning the 21st, it’s basically flat or onshore junk. Saturday morning the 19th has a brief moment of glassy conditions with a 3ft southerly swell, but it’s weak as – only 296 combined energy. You might catch a tiny one, but don’t hold your breath.

Monday morning the 21st is glassy again, but the swell is a pathetic 2ft with a period of 17 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, but for a beach break, those long gaps between sets will leave you floatin’. Energy is a measly 189. It’s surfable but ordinary.

Now, the standout? Honestly, there ain’t a true classic day in this 16-day run. The best bet is Tuesday morning the 22nd. We’ve got a clean 3ft southerly swell with a 12-second period – that’s a nice long-period groundswell that can wrap in cleanly. The wind is a cross-off southerly at 12 mph, keepin’ it tidy. Energy is 294 – weak but workable. It’s not gonna blow your mind, but for this stretch, it’s the pick. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” here, so you might have a few mates out, but not a circus.

Beyond that, it’s a long dry spell. From Tuesday afternoon onward, it’s mostly onshore winds, small junky swell, and light rain. A couple of mornings like Thursday the 24th and Saturday the 26th show glassy conditions, but the swell is tiny (2ft to 5ft) and mixed direction – real weak stuff. Nothing worth paddlin’ for until the first of October, and even then it’s onshore 5ft junk.

For a kite surfer, the afternoons with strong cross-on or onshore winds and 5ft+ swell might look fun, but for a surfboard? It’s lean pickings. The main takeaway: the only window worth a look is Tuesday morning the 22nd – small but clean. The rest is a write-off.

Rusty.

Read more