Nobbys Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.93° S 151.80° E

Nobbys Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 17 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Nobbys Reef sea temperature is
17.1° C
1.3° 

Nobbys Reef surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Nobbys Reef surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, ESE swell with 197 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with ESE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Nobbys Reef this week:

The surf forecast for Nobbys Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Nobbys Reef in the next 16 days are 1.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Wed 19th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 8s
Best Surf 1AM (Wed 19th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 8s
Most Powerful 7PM (Wed 19th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nobbys Reef over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Nobbys Reef over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a slow start. We’re looking at a stretch of pretty ordinary conditions. The swell’s there, but the wind is all wrong for the first few days. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th have waves around 3 ft from the ESE, but the wind is cross or cross-on, and the water is a bit colder than usual at 63° with a -2° anomaly. It’s messy and not worth paddling out for.

The first glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday morning, the 19th. The swell drops a touch to 2 ft from the ESE, but the wind goes glassy – a light NNE breeze at just 3 mph. That clean, glassy surface is a golden ticket. The swell period bumps up to 10 seconds, giving it some decent shape, and the combined energy is a solid moderate (203). For a reef break, this could be a real gem for the experienced crew. The only catch is this spot is inconsistent, so it might not always be running, but when it does Wednesday morning, it'll be worth a look. Crowds are possible here, so don’t expect to have it to yourself.

Thursday the 20th sees the swell drop again, and it stays small for a long while. The morning has a bit of a clean look with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the wave height is only 3 ft and the period drops to 7 seconds. There’s a bit of energy on the Thursday afternoon (153), but the wind is cross-off again, so it’s more of a skate than a surf. Then from Friday the 21st through to Tuesday the 26th, the swell just disappears. We’re talking flat spells with wave heights barely reaching 2 ft or 2 ft. The energy drops right off into the double digits, and the wind does get offshore at times, but there’s no wave to work with. It’s a dead zone for nearly a week.

We get a bit of a pulse on Monday the 24th. A very long-period groundswell from the SSE at 19 seconds pushes in, but it only manages 1 ft. The combined energy is moderate (172 and 181), and the wind is offshore and light. The swell is long-period, which is good for shape, but at a beach break like this, it might be a bit too straight. Still, for a sneaky, clean, small-wave session, it could be fun for someone on a log.

The real standout, and the only one truly worth circling on the calendar, is Thursday morning, the 27th of August. The swell is a bit more solid at 3 ft from the SSE, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a solid moderate (201). The wind is light WSW at 6 mph, which is cross-offshore, meaning the waves will be clean. That’s your best shot at a proper session in this whole 16-day run. It’s not huge, but it’ll be shaped and clean. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th are okay, but the wind gets a bit onshore or messy, with the swell staying small.

After that, it fades out again into the start of September with more wind and small, junky waves. The second week is a write-off for anything decent.

So, to sum it up: Wednesday morning the 19th for a glassy, clean reef runner if it’s breaking, and Thursday morning the 27th for the best combo of size, shape, and clean conditions on offer.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
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
2
2
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
1.1
ESE
7
1
ESE
7
1.2
ESE
7
1.1
ESE
7
1
ESE
7
0.9
ESE
8
0.7
ESE
10
1
ESE
10
1
ESE
9
0.8
ESE
7
0.7
ESE
7
0.6
E
6
0.5
E
6
0.4
ENE
6
0.4
S
5
0.3
ENE
6
0.2
S
9
0.2
S
8
0.3
SSE
16
0.3
SSE
15
0.4
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
117
96
136
124
111
103
92
196
147
54
47
28
19
12
9
7
7
5
51
47
35
Wind (km/h)
10
E
15
ESE
15
E
15
E
10
E
5
N
0
WNW
15
E
10
N
10
NNW
15
NE
15
NW
5
W
5
S
15
NNW
15
WSW
15
SSE
5
NW
5
NNE
15
NE
10
NW
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-on
off
cross-off
on
glassy
glassy
cross
off
High Tide
11:30AM1.42m
11:35PM1.30m
12:12PM1.39m
00:16AM1.16m
12:59PM1.36m
1:04AM1.03m
1:52PM1.34m
2:06AM0.94m
2:52PM1.35m
3:30AM0.91m
3:55PM1.38m
4:54AM0.95m
4:52PM1.43m
Low Tide
5:38PM0.44m
5:46AM0.37m
6:30PM0.53m
6:20AM0.46m
7:31PM0.60m
6:59AM0.54m
8:45PM0.63m
7:47AM0.60m
10:07PM0.62m
8:49AM0.64m
11:13PM0.55m
9:57AM0.64m
11:59PM0.47m
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:28
6:28
6:26
6:26
6:24
6:22
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:24
5:24
5:25
5:27
5:27
5:28
5:29
 mm
2
Temp °C
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
21
21
20
18
17
15
16
16
15
17
20
18
Feels °C
14
13
13
12
13
15
14
13
13
17
17
17
16
16
13
14
12
15
15
18
15
  • 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 Nobbys Reef:

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 Nobbys Reef 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 Nobbys Reef Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Nobbys Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Nobbys Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Nobbys Reef 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 (Nobbys Reef) 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 Nobbys Reef 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.

Are you planning a holiday in Newcastle? If you are looking for accommodation near Nobbys Reef, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Newcastle, consider staying in Newcastle which is 3 km (2 miles) away. Other places in and around Newcastle where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Catherine Hill Bay which is 31 km (19 miles) away, Port Stephens, Cessnock and Central Coast.

Nearest locationNearest