Forster Beach (Nambucca) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, specifically for Forster Beach (Nambucca). I’m just gonna take this one spot as it comes.

We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands for any decent surf. The first week is pretty much a write-off, with a long gap of poor conditions until we finally see something worth paddling out for.

Wednesday 16th September kicks things off, but it’s a messy one. There’s a solid 8 ft south swell running with a short 8-second period. The wind is a cross-off, which keeps it clean, but the wave energy is moderate at best (764). Honestly, the tide and conditions are just marginal, and that swell is too big for the break to handle properly for a beginner spot. It’s a hard pass for me.

Wednesday afternoon gets worse. The swell jumps to 10 ft from the south with a 10-second period, and the energy is ramping up hard (1910). The wind is a strong 25 mph cross-off. It’s clean, but this is now well over 8 ft – expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a washing machine for a beach break.

Thursday 17th September sees the biggest pulse of the period. Morning has a 12 ft south swell, 11-second period, and the energy is massive (4185). The wind is a moderate cross-off so it’s clean, but that’s huge, unruly power. Again, only for the brave and the experienced. The afternoon drops to 8 ft but the wind swings cross-shore, making it choppy and messy (1334 energy). Not worth it.

From Friday 18th through to Tuesday 22nd September, we hit a dead zone. The swell drops to knee-to-waist high, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore almost constantly. There’s a brief glimmer on Saturday 19th morning – a clean 3 ft south swell with glassy conditions (336 energy) – but it’s weak and inconsistent. Not enough to get excited about. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The outlook finally turns the corner on Tuesday 22nd September. Morning brings a clean, 3 ft SSE swell with a 11-second period and light cross-off wind (165 energy). It’s small and clean, surfable but ordinary. A slight improvement.

Then from Wednesday 23rd through to Monday 28th September, it’s another long stretch of junk. Onshore winds, tiny wind swell, and rainfall. The swell direction shifts to ENE with short periods, and the energy stays weak. A kite surfer might have fun in that messy cross-onshore chop, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a no-go.

Now, hold onto your board, because we’ve got a standout at the very end. Tuesday 29th September morning offers a clean 5 ft ENE swell with a cross-off wind (422 energy). It’s clean, but the conditions are still just “poor”. Not our winner.

The real gem is Wednesday 30th September morning. This is the one. A 5 ft NE groundswell with a 9-second period, but the kicker is the glassy conditions and light offshore wind. The energy is moderate (715), but the wind and tide are aligning for “very good surf conditions”. The swell direction (NE) is a bit off from the optimum SE, but for a beach break with this clean setup, it’s the best we’re gonna get. Crowds are possible here sometimes, so get in early.

After that, Thursday 1st October fades back into small, onshore mush.

So, if you’re patient, the standout is Wednesday 30th September morning at Forster Beach (Nambucca). It’s a clean, fun-size NE swell with glassy conditions. Don’t bother with the first week and a half – it’s a bust. Get that date in your calendar.

Rusty.

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