
Surf Forecasts:
Freshwater and Harbord surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with 1,640 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Freshwater and Harbord this week:
The surf forecast for Freshwater and Harbord over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Freshwater and Harbord in the next 16 days are 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater and Harbord over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next two weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, and you’ll have to be patient. The first solid swell windows are a long way off, and a lot of the early days are just tiny, poor-quality waves. Let’s get into it.
We start off with a quiet spell. From Saturday the 5th to Friday the 11th, it’s mostly small, weak energy with rubbish conditions. You’ll see a bit of swell pop up here and there, but it’s all accompanied by cross-shore winds that mess it up. The combined energy barely gets past 37 (weak), and the swell heights are tiny, mostly under 3 ft. It’s not worth paddling out for.
Now, there’s a flicker of hope on Saturday the 12th. The morning at Freshwater and Harbord shows a glassy surface with a tiny 1 ft SSE swell. The period is a very long 18 seconds, which is proper groundswell energy. The combined energy sits at 131 (moderate), but the size is just too small to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s very ordinary.
The real standout, and the one to circle on your calendar, is Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th. This is where the power comes in. A big SSE swell pushes through, with heights hitting 13 ft on Thursday morning and 12 ft in the afternoon. The combined energy is massive – 5369 and 4356 respectively (very strong). This is serious, expert-only territory. The swell direction is SSE, which is a solid match for the break’s optimum ENE exposure. The period is a solid 13-14 seconds, so it’s got plenty of grunt and shape, though at a beach break it might close out a bit. The catch is the wind – it’s cross-on and strong, so the surface will be lumpy and messy. Thursday afternoon gets a bit of a break with lighter wind, but it’s still cross-on. Friday morning looks the cleanest of the bunch with a cross-off breeze from the WSW, but the swell is still a hefty 10 ft. This is a window for experienced surfers only, and even then, it’ll be a battle.
After that, the swell drops off again through the weekend of the 19th and 20th, with smaller, choppier conditions and no real recommendation.
So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The only real standout is the big, powerful groundswell from the 17th to the 18th, but it’s for experts only and the wind is a problem. The best bet for a clean wave might be that glassy Saturday morning on the 12th, but it’s tiny. Keep an eye on the long-range forecasts, as that big swell shows promise.
Stay patient, stay keen.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Tue night, strong winds from the S by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 9 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 12 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 | E 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ENE 15 | E 15 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
17 | 29 | 26 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 67 | 250 | 183 | 517 | 287 | 461 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 18 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:40PM1.42m | 3:46AM0.94m | 3:54PM1.47m | 5:00AM1.00m | 5:00PM1.54m | 5:57AM1.09m | 5:56PM1.60m | 6:46AM1.19m | 6:47PM1.63m | 7:28AM1.28m | 7:32PM1.62m | 8:08AM1.36m | 8:15PM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:47PM0.30m | 9:09AM0.46m | 10:57PM0.22m | 10:24AM0.42m | 11:54PM0.14m | 11:29AM0.34m | 00:42AM0.07m | 12:24PM0.27m | 1:23AM0.03m | 1:15PM0.20m | 2:01AM0.03m | 2:02PM0.17m | 2:36AM0.06m | ||||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
— | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 25 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SE 12 | SE 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ENE 9 | E 12 | S 18 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 |
85 | 29 | 26 | 21 | 111 | 1460 | 421 | 364 | 67 | 250 | 435 | 517 | 287 | 8 | 11 | 60 | 1247 | 1344 | 955 | 850 | 743 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 10 | E 11 | NE 6 | ENE 10 | NE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 9 | ENE 10 | SE 10 | S 16 | NE 16 | ESE 10 | S 24 | ESE 9 | S 22 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 |
17 | 62 | 44 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 183 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 99 | 7 | 36 | 18 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | ENE 9 | E 11 | — | E 10 | — | E 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 | — | ENE 10 | N 9 | ENE 9 | E 17 | — | E 16 | ESE 9 | ENE 15 | E 15 | E 10 | E 9 |
2 | 8 | 9 | — | 8 | — | 8 | 2 | 3 | — | 9 | 2 | 8 | 6 | — | 5 | 9 | 21 | 17 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | WNW 3 | WSW 3 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | S 10 | — | — | S 8 | S 9 | — | — | NW 3 | SSE 7 | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
5 | 3 | 3 | 105 | 196 | 1838 | — | — | 488 | 828 | — | — | 2 | 461 | 2206 | 1470 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 258 | 154 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 154 | 10 | 10 | 106 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sydney North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Freshwater and Harbord Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Freshwater and Harbord provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Freshwater and Harbord can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Freshwater and Harbord 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 (Freshwater and Harbord) 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 Freshwater and Harbord 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.
Freshwater and Harbord is 4 km (2 miles) from Dee Why. If you plan a holiday in Sydney North Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Dee Why. Dee Why has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










