Surf Forecasts:
Friendly Beaches surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, S swell with 743 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Friendly Beaches this week:
The surf forecast for Friendly Beaches over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Friendly Beaches in the next 16 days are 1.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 10PM. 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 16s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Friendly Beaches over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, friends, Rusty here. Let's look at what's on the table for Friendly Beaches. This spot is exposed, inconsistent, and for the advanced crew. The water is sitting at 57° which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year.
We've got a bit of a slow start. Wednesday the 26th is basically a write-off with poor conditions and weak, short-period swell. Thursday the 27th is marginal with a bit more size but junky, cross-shore winds. We'll see a bump to 5ft with a 10-second period in the afternoon, but it's crossed up and rippled. Not worth paddling out for.
We get a bit of a breather on Friday the 28th with some cleaner conditions. The morning has a moderate offshore wind with 3ft from the ESE (moderate energy at 202). It's surfable, but nothing to write home about. Saturday is similar, small and pretty ordinary.
Now, Sunday the 30th is where things start to get interesting. The morning brings a proper groundswell bump. We're looking at 4ft from the south with a long 14-second period. That's the good stuff. Combined energy is up at 717, and with a gentle offshore breeze, it's going to be clean. This is a standout for the early window. Monday the 31st holds some of that south swell too – 4ft on a 11-second period, and it's glassy in the morning. That's another good window. But be aware, this long-period south swell can be prone to breaking a bit straight at a beach break setup like this. It's better if it lines up.
The middle of the week gets a bit messy with wind and some onshore junk, then drops right off into the following weekend. September 6th and 7th see the swell bottom out at a tiny 1ft. There's a real lull there, a few days of nothing much to chase.
Then, things get wild. The morning of Wednesday the 9th of September is the big one on the calendar. The models are showing a solid 10ft pulse from the NNE with a short 7-second period. The energy reading is huge at 862, and it's glassy, but that size is only for the experts. The afternoon is 8ft from the N with a massive 1622 energy reading. That's a very powerful, strong swell. For the experienced surfer, the afternoon is going to be excellent. For anyone else, it's a watching day. It's worth noting that this is a long-range call, so treat it as promising but with a bit of uncertainty.
After that, Thursday the 10th drops back down, but the swell direction swings around to the NNE with some wind. It's there, but the quality fades.
So, if you're looking for the standout sessions, mark Sunday the 30th in the morning and Monday the 31st in the morning. And for the brave, the afternoon of Wednesday the 9th of September is potentially the heaviest of the window. Crowds are sometimes a factor, so pick your moment.
Stay stoked.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 8°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Tue morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 8 | S 8 | SE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 8 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | N 6 | N 7 | S 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
70 | 253 | 193 | 416 | 348 | 149 | 169 | 109 | 65 | 64 | 134 | 144 | 144 | 223 | 233 | 175 | 85 | 188 | 214 | 72 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 6:21PM1.21m | 7:55AM0.89m | 7:04PM1.21m | 8:29AM0.93m | 7:48PM1.19m | 9:03AM0.98m | 8:34PM1.15m | 9:36AM1.03m | 9:23PM1.10m | 10:11AM1.09m | 10:18PM1.03m | 10:49AM1.13m | 11:18PM0.96m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:31AM0.18m | 12:51PM0.56m | 2:06AM0.18m | 1:40PM0.53m | 2:40AM0.19m | 2:31PM0.49m | 3:14AM0.22m | 3:23PM0.44m | 3:49AM0.27m | 4:18PM0.39m | 4:26AM0.34m | 5:17PM0.34m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 21 | 15 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 9 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 17 | 19 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | S 8 | SE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 7 | S 8 | S 14 | S 8 | S 8 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 15 | S 7 |
70 | 253 | 193 | 416 | 348 | 149 | 169 | 109 | 54 | 64 | 134 | 133 | 104 | 223 | 233 | 175 | 85 | 21 | 70 | 70 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | NE 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SSW 8 | S 14 | S 14 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 | S 12 | N 7 |
37 | 59 | 85 | 75 | 71 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 65 | 35 | 24 | 144 | 144 | 153 | 68 | 68 | 74 | 74 | 25 | 46 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | S 13 | NE 8 | S 14 | NE 9 | S 10 | S 18 | S 16 | NE 9 | S 12 | NE 9 | NE 9 | SSW 10 | N 4 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | S 15 |
8 | 82 | 33 | 14 | 51 | 31 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 46 | 12 | 13 | 37 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 72 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 8 | — | — | NNE 8 | N 4 | SW 5 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | W 3 | — | SW 5 | W 3 | N 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | NNE 3 | N 6 | N 6 | N 7 | — |
804 | — | — | 64 | 10 | 82 | 117 | 138 | 3 | — | 35 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 188 | 214 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 473 | 20 | 93 | 20 | 16 | 34 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 34 | 110 | 587 | 114 | 34 |
Best forecast wave conditions in East Coast of Tasmania | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Friendly Beaches Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Friendly Beaches provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Friendly Beaches can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Friendly Beaches 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 (Friendly Beaches) 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 Friendly Beaches 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.
Friendly Beaches is 114 km (71 miles) from Launceston. If you plan a holiday in East Coast of Tasmania, look for hotels and other accommodation in Launceston. Launceston has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











