Surf Forecasts:
Lakes Beach surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, ESE swell with 431 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lakes Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Lakes Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lakes Beach in the next 16 days are 2.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lakes Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, lookin' at the charts for Lakes Beach. It's a bit of a mixed bag comin' up, with a whole lotta nothin' before we get a real cracker of a day down the track. The water's sittin' at about 64°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
The next week and a half is gonna be a grind. We've got a run of mostly poor surf from Wednesday the 12th right through to the 26th, with only a few tiny windows of half-decent conditions. The swell is small and weak, mostly from the south or east, with combined wave energy mostly in the low hundreds – feels like you're pushin' a rope. Winds are a messy mix of cross and onshore, so the waves are gonna be choppy and ugly. Friday morning the 14th sees a bit of a breather with a glassy 3ft south swell, but it's short period (7 seconds), so it'll be weak and a bit fat. Then Wednesday the 19th and Friday the 21st mornings have clean conditions with small east-northeast swell, but again, it's barely surfable.
But hold onto your boardies, because the real story is Thursday the 27th of August. The forecast is shouting about a massive pulse of south swell – 10ft to 12ft with a 10 to 12 second period. The combined wave energy is a whopping 2682, which is some serious grunt. The morning is glassy with a light offshore from the west-southwest. Now, this is where I gotta be real with you – this break is for advanced surfers only. At over 8ft, it's a beast, and the swell direction is straight south, which is the optimum for Lakes Beach. This is a true standout, but only if you've got the skills and the bottle. The afternoon sees the wind turn onshore from the southeast, so get out there early.
So, bottom line: you're gonna be twiddling your thumbs for a solid two weeks, but if you're a charger, mark Thursday the 27th on your calendar. It's a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but it could be the day of the season.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 279 | 164 | 111 | 127 | 320 | 273 | 108 | 173 | 168 | 270 | 355 | 214 | 226 | 158 | 397 | 248 | 200 | 166 | 158 | 111 | 108 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:50PM1.80m | 8:34AM1.27m | 8:36PM1.77m | 9:17AM1.32m | 9:19PM1.68m | 9:58AM1.36m | 10:01PM1.55m | 10:39AM1.38m | 10:43PM1.39m | 11:21AM1.37m | 11:25PM1.23m | 12:04PM1.35m | 00:11AM1.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:22PM0.22m | 2:33AM-0.03m | 2:12PM0.19m | 3:13AM-0.02m | 3:01PM0.20m | 3:50AM0.03m | 3:50PM0.23m | 4:26AM0.10m | 4:39PM0.29m | 5:00AM0.19m | 5:30PM0.36m | 5:34AM0.29m | 6:25PM0.44m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | ENE 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 9 | ENE 10 | S 7 | S 16 | S 15 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | ESE 7 | S 11 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 279 | 164 | 111 | 52 | 320 | 273 | 108 | 173 | 168 | 270 | 18 | 214 | 82 | 69 | 37 | 68 | 60 | 35 | 158 | 55 | 108 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | S 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 19 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 16 | SSW 11 | ENE 8 | S 8 | ENE 8 | S 10 |
| kJ | 54 | 50 | 52 | 3 | 29 | 29 | 65 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 63 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 41 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 29 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 15 | S 16 | S 16 | S 19 | S 16 | ENE 10 | S 16 | S 16 | S 19 | S 13 | S 17 | S 13 | S 12 | S 16 | — | — | SE 10 | S 11 | ESE 12 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | — | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 31 | 45 | 21 | 29 | 12 | 51 | 4 | 11 | 21 | — | — | 4 | 9 | 14 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | NW 3 | W 4 | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 8 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | ESE 7 | — |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 9 | 127 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 355 | — | 226 | 158 | 397 | 248 | 200 | 166 | — | 111 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 458 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 250 | 179 | 250 | 322 | 241 | 54 | 3 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Lakes Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Lakes Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lakes Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lakes Beach 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 (Lakes Beach) 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 Lakes Beach 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.
Lakes Beach is 11 km (7 miles) from the city of Catherine Hill Bay. If you plan a holiday in Newcastle, look for hotels and other accommodation in Catherine Hill Bay. Catherine Hill Bay has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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