Surf Forecasts:
Nobbys Reef surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, SSE swell with 299 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with S 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Nobbys Reef in the next 16 days are 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nobbys Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it. This is Rusty, lookin' at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it's a bit of a mixed bag. We're gonna have to be patient, but there are a couple of windows that'll get the heart pumping.
First up, we're looking at a stretch where the surf is pretty ordinary. The water temp is sittin' around 64°, which is about 1° cooler than average for this time of year, so nothing too wild there.
We kick off with a bit of a wait. The first real chance to get wet comes on Tuesday, the 25th of August. Nobbys Reef is the only spot on the cards. Early Tuesday morning, we've got a tiny 3ft swell from the ENE, but the real story is the wind. It's a clean offshore from the NNW at 6 mph. That's gonna clean things right up. The combined energy is moderate at 104. It's nothing to write home about, but it's surfable.
Tuesday afternoon, the wind shifts to a gentle offshore from the NW, and the swell ticks up a touch to 3ft from the ENE. The energy picks up a bit too at 132. Still very ordinary, but you could get a few. Wednesday morning, the 26th, is similar with a 2ft ENE swell and a light cross-offshore breeze. It's clean, but tiny.
Then things get a bit messy. From Wednesday afternoon through to the end of the month, the wind turns onshore or cross-shore, and the swell, while it gets bigger, is junk. Thursday the 27th has a 5ft S swell, but it's cross-on and choppy. The energy is up there at 312, but the quality is poor. This pattern of onshore slop continues for days.
Now, there's a glimmer. Sunday morning, the 30th of August. We get a 3ft SE swell, and the wind goes glassy. Dead flat calm. The energy is a moderate 165. It's a tiny window, but a clean one.
The standout, and I mean the *only* real standout in this whole 16-day forecast, is Monday morning, the 31st of August. Nobbys Reef. The swell is small, only 2ft, but it's a long-period groundswell from the south, with a period of 18 seconds. That's a very long period. The combined energy is moderate at 212. The wind is glassy. Absolutely dead calm. For a reef break, that long-period groundswell will produce some clean, lined-up waves. It won't be big, but it'll be the most quality you'll see all forecast. Keep in mind, it's inconsistent, and it's an advanced wave, so not for the groms. And crowds are possible.
After that, we're back into the doldrums. The first week of September is a write-off. The 1st has a tiny 1ft S swell with offshore wind, but it's weak. From the 2nd of September onwards, it's a mix of small, onshore, and choppy conditions. The 4th of September has a 4ft SSE swell, but it's a fresh cross-onshore at 19 mph, making it lumpy and horrible. The 5th and 6th are similar, with onshore winds and poor conditions. The energy on the 5th afternoon is 449, but it's all wind and chop.
Honestly, after that Monday morning, there's a gap of about a week with no real recommendations. The surf just drops off. By the 7th and 8th of September, we're looking at tiny 1ft and 1ft swells with no quality.
So, the call is simple. If you're a patient surfer, you've got one day to circle: Monday, August 31st. Get down to Nobbys Reef for that glassy, long-period groundswell. It's your best bet. For everything else, save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 23°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
89 | 68 | 56 | 85 | 71 | 48 | 40 | 191 | 270 | 239 | 157 | 157 | 260 | 248 | 193 | 299 | 184 | 99 | 81 | 44 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:41PM1.50m | 6:35AM1.11m | 6:23PM1.57m | 7:12AM1.20m | 7:02PM1.62m | 7:46AM1.28m | 7:40PM1.65m | 8:19AM1.35m | 8:17PM1.66m | 8:52AM1.41m | 8:54PM1.63m | 9:27AM1.45m | 9:33PM1.57m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:36AM0.38m | 11:53AM0.55m | 1:10AM0.29m | 12:39PM0.48m | 1:42AM0.22m | 1:22PM0.41m | 2:14AM0.17m | 2:02PM0.35m | 2:46AM0.15m | 2:42PM0.30m | 3:18AM0.15m | 3:23PM0.28m | 3:50AM0.18m | |||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 23 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 22 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 |
89 | 33 | 56 | 85 | 71 | 48 | 35 | 191 | 270 | 239 | 157 | 157 | 260 | 248 | 193 | 41 | 184 | 99 | 81 | 44 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 17 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 16 | S 15 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 |
28 | 66 | 28 | 27 | 15 | 19 | 5 | 36 | 20 | 20 | 37 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 50 | 35 | 19 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | ENE 9 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | S 9 | — | S 16 | SSE 15 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | S 12 | S 8 | S 11 | S 11 | ENE 9 | S 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
3 | 8 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 6 | — | 5 | 22 | 42 | 60 | 12 | 5 | 38 | 20 | 30 | 16 | 16 | 27 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | — | — | — | — | S 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 10 | — | — | E 3 | ENE 4 |
33 | 68 | — | — | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 299 | — | — | 1 | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 287 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 185 | 2 | 2 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 221 | 9 | 44 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 294 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











