Freshwater and Harbord Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° S 151.30° E

Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Freshwater and Harbord sea temperature is
17.0°C
0.8° 

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 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, NE swell with 233 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period with NE 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 (Aug 25) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 6s. 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 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Tue 25th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 6s
Best Surf 4AM (Tue 25th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 6s
Most Powerful10AM (Tue 25th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, surf crew, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks at Freshwater and Harbord. Gotta be straight with you: this is a pretty bleak run. We’re looking at a long stretch of underwhelming conditions. The first solid chance you’ll see won't come until Saturday the 29th of August, and even then, it’s nothing to write home about.

For the core of this week, from Monday the 24th right through to Friday the 28th, it’s mostly a write-off. Tiny swell, messy wind, and the wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” We’ve got a mix of cross-shore and onshore winds that’ll keep things lumpy and uninviting. The combined swell energy is weak, sitting between 40 and 364 (moderate at best on Tuesday morning, but still sloppy). It’s just not worth paddling out.

The first real glimmer comes on Saturday the 29th, and that’s our standout. Early morning we’ve got a moment of glass with a light WSW breeze, and the swell ticks up just a bit to 3ft from the SSE. Period is a modest 9 seconds, but the combined energy hits 206 (moderate), and the wave comment finally says “surfable waves.” It’s clean and glassy for the early session, which is a rare treat. Remember, this is a sheltered spot, so that SSE swell has a chance to wrap in nicely. The water’s sitting around 63°F, about 1°F cooler than average for late August, so not drastically off, but you’ll feel a slight chill.

Sunday the 30th morning offers another glassy window. Swell drops back to 2ft from the SSE with combined energy at 107 (weak to moderate). Again, “surfable but very ordinary.” These are small-wave days for the patient surfer, and with the break being consistent and offering a sheltered setup, you might get a few fun ones if you’re on a log. Crowds can be an issue here often, so expect company on any half-decent wave.

Looking further out, from Monday the 1st of September onward, it gets small again and stays that way. Winds swing offshore on Tuesday the 1st with a 2ft ENE swell and an 11-second period (a bit longer period, suggesting a little more push), but the energy is just 88 (weak). After that, it’s tiny twitching waves with combined energy barely cracking 70. The forecast confidence for the second week is low – things could change, but right now it looks like a long flat spell. There’s a solid gap of nearly featureless days from the 1st through the 8th.

So, bottom line: best bet is early Saturday the 29th for a glassy, rideable 3ft SSE swell. Sunday morning is a backup. After that, it’s a waiting game. Stay patient.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Mon morning, fresh winds from the S by Wed morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
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
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
NE
5
1.1
NE
5
1.4
NE
6
1.6
NE
7
1.3
ENE
7
1.4
NE
8
1.1
NE
8
1.6
S
6
0.7
NE
8
0.7
ENE
8
0.6
ENE
8
0.7
ENE
9
0.7
ENE
8
0.7
SSE
11
0.9
SSE
10
1
SSE
9
1.1
SSE
10
0.9
SSE
9
0.7
SSE
9
0.6
SSE
8
0.5
ENE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
41
59
152
233
183
215
140
169
60
54
40
70
59
103
145
168
205
149
65
46
48
Wind (km/h)
10
N
25
NE
15
NNE
15
N
25
NNW
10
NW
20
SSW
30
SSE
15
S
10
S
10
SE
5
NW
5
NW
15
E
10
SSW
5
SW
10
ESE
5
WNW
5
NNE
15
NE
10
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross
off
High Tide
5:45PM1.39m
6:30AM0.99m
6:27PM1.45m
7:07AM1.06m
7:05PM1.51m
7:42AM1.14m
7:41PM1.53m
8:16AM1.21m
8:16PM1.53m
8:50AM1.28m
8:52PM1.50m
9:25AM1.34m
9:30PM1.43m
Low Tide
11:07AM0.49m
00:38AM0.30m
11:56AM0.43m
1:12AM0.23m
12:39PM0.37m
1:44AM0.17m
1:19PM0.32m
2:15AM0.13m
1:59PM0.28m
2:45AM0.10m
2:40PM0.25m
3:16AM0.10m
3:22PM0.24m
3:48AM0.13m
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
mod rain
light rain
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:22
6:20
6:20
6:18
6:18
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:31
5:32
5:34
5:34
 mm
2
5
6
3
Temp °C
19
18
17
20
18
16
17
16
15
15
15
14
16
15
14
16
15
15
16
15
15
Feels °C
15
14
13
16
15
14
14
11
12
13
13
14
14
13
13
14
13
15
14
12
13
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Freshwater and Harbord:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Freshwater and Harbord surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest