Freshwater and Harbord Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 151.30° E

Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Freshwater and Harbord sea temperature is
17.0° C
0.9° 

Freshwater and Harbord surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Freshwater and Harbord surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, NE swell with 182 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period with ENE 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s is also forecast. 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 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Thu 20th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 6s
Best Surf 7PM (Thu 20th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 6s
Most Powerful10PM (Thu 20th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 6s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater and Harbord over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Righto, Rusty here. First things first, I’ve had a proper look at the charts and the run of conditions for the next couple of weeks, and I’ll be straight with you: it’s a bit of a slow burner for the Freshwater and Harbord area. We’ve got a long stretch of mostly flat, weak, or messy conditions before things finally start to fire up. The water temp is sitting around 63°, which is slightly cooler than average for this time of year, but nothing too dramatic.

First up, the forecast period kicks off but there’s nothing worth paddling out for. From Thursday the 20th of August all the way through the weekend and into the following week, it’s pretty grim. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, with weak energy readings (often below 100, with many mornings showing just 28 to 79 in the combined energy). The winds are occasionally offshore or glassy, which is nice, but the swell is just too small and short-period (around 5 to 6 seconds) to produce any proper waves. There’s a few mornings with light NW or W winds and glassy conditions, but the swell is barely a ripple. You’ll be sitting on a flat ocean. The best you can say is that the seabreeze kicks in most afternoons, but it’s onshore or cross-shore chopping up what little energy there is.

We’re looking at a solid gap of nearly a week of no real surf options. It’s a bit of a frustrating wait, but stick with me.

The first real sign of life comes on Tuesday the 25th of August. The swell nudges up a little, with combined energy climbing into the low hundreds (106 in the morning, 101 in the afternoon). The afternoon has a glassy wind and a clean 3 ft ENE swell, but the period is still short (9 seconds) and the conditions are just “surfable but ordinary.” It’s a small step, but not a standout.

The action really starts to build toward the end of the month. On Sunday the 30th of August, we’ve got a 7 ft NE swell arriving with a cross-off wind and combined energy of 440. The morning is clean, but the swell is still a bit raw and the period is short (7 seconds). The afternoon bumps up to 8 ft and 689 energy, still clean, but the conditions are described as marginal. This is for experienced surfers only, as the size is pushing into expert territory.

The real standout window is the final few days of August and into early September. Monday the 31st of August is looking promising. The morning has a 8 ft ENE swell with a 8-second period, cross-off NW winds, and combined energy of 828. That’s solid, clean power. The afternoon gets bigger, with a 12 ft ENE swell and 9-second period, but the energy jumps to 2863, which is very strong. Winds are still cross-off, but this is definitely for experts only. The direction is bang on from the ENE, which is the optimum swell direction for Freshwater and Harbord.

Tuesday the 1st of September is the pick of the whole period. The morning session delivers a 13 ft ENE swell with a 10-second period, and a combined energy reading of 4457, which is massive. The wind is cross-off from the W, keeping the waves clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, but it’s too big for beginners. The swell is long-period groundswell, which will offer better shape and more power, but at a point break like Freshwater, that long period can make the waves a bit more lined up and shifty. It’s a proper swell.

After that, the swell drops off quickly. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September still have decent size, around 7 ft to 7 ft, but the winds turn onshore or cross-shore, chopping things up. By Friday the 4th of September, we’re back to small, clean but weak surf.

So, the best call for the whole outlook is Tuesday the 1st of September, early morning at Freshwater and Harbord. It’s a big, powerful ENE swell with clean offshore winds. Only for the experienced crew, but it’s the real deal. The Monday the 31st of August morning is also a solid option if you want a bit less size.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, as this is a long-range call and things can shift, but the potential is there for a proper session.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
AM
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
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
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)
0.8
ENE
6
1.1
NE
6
1.3
ENE
6
0.8
ENE
6
0.7
NE
6
0.4
ENE
6
0.6
SSW
5
0.4
NE
6
0.6
SSE
5
0.5
NE
9
0.8
ENE
4
1
NE
5
0.8
ENE
6
0.9
ENE
6
0.8
ENE
6
0.8
ENE
9
0.8
ENE
9
0.8
ENE
8
0.9
NE
8
1.2
SSE
6
0.9
SSE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
40
72
126
51
39
14
19
9
15
38
15
45
34
59
36
106
101
88
95
119
53
Wind (km/h)
10
N
20
NE
10
NW
15
NW
20
NW
10
NW
5
WSW
15
ENE
10
WSW
5
W
20
NE
10
NNW
10
NNW
5
E
5
W
5
SSW
5
ESE
25
SSW
30
SW
25
SSW
15
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
off
off
off
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross
cross
cross
cross
High Tide
1:51PM1.26m
2:24AM0.86m
2:55PM1.25m
3:46AM0.84m
4:00PM1.27m
4:56AM0.87m
4:57PM1.32m
5:49AM0.92m
5:45PM1.39m
6:30AM0.99m
6:27PM1.45m
7:07AM1.06m
7:05PM1.51m
Low Tide
8:49PM0.50m
7:52AM0.53m
10:06PM0.48m
9:01AM0.55m
11:10PM0.43m
10:09AM0.53m
11:58PM0.37m
11:07AM0.49m
00:38AM0.30m
11:56AM0.43m
1:12AM0.23m
12:39PM0.37m
1:44AM0.17m
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
mod rain
heavy rain
mod rain
light rain
cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:28
6:26
6:26
6:24
6:24
6:22
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:28
5:28
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:30
5:31
 mm
1
8
14
6
2
Temp °C
20
19
19
20
21
16
18
17
16
16
16
16
22
22
19
13
14
14
12
13
12
Feels °C
17
16
16
18
17
12
16
14
15
13
13
14
20
20
17
14
12
12
5
7
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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 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.

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