Surf Forecasts:
Nobbys Reef surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, NE swell with 184 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period with NE 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s 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 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) 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 0.5m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nobbys Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it.
This is a tough one for the upcoming stretch. We're looking at a long quiet spell before things finally wake up around the start of September. The only break on the radar is Nobbys Reef, a reef setup that's best with swell from the southeast. It's an inconsistent spot, so you need to be patient, and it's strictly for advanced surfers.
For the next week and a half, it's pretty grim. From Thursday, the 20th of August, right through to the end of the month, the surf is tiny and weak. We're talking waist-high at best, with a lot of poor, choppy conditions. The combined energy is mostly in the double digits, barely cracking 100 (64 on Thursday morning), so there's just no grunt in the water. The water is sitting at 63°F, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you'll want a good wetsuit. There's a long stretch here with nothing worth paddling out for.
The real story starts to build toward the very end of the month. The standout window is the morning of Monday, the 31st of August. We've got a clean 2 ft swell from the east (385 combined energy), with a light offshore cross-off breeze from the north. That's a really nice setup for Nobbys Reef, offering some clean, lined-up waves. The water will still be cold, but the conditions should be glassy and fun.
Following that, Tuesday the 1st of September is also shaping up nicely. The morning brings a solid 7 ft east swell (854 energy) with a moderate offshore wind from the west-northwest. That's a bigger, more powerful wave, still clean. The afternoon goes glassy with a 7 ft east swell (767 energy). This is expert territory, but it's about as good as it gets for this spot. The long-range call on these is promising, but keep in mind we're looking a fair way out.
After that burst, the energy drops off quickly through the rest of the first week of September. There's a brief glimmer on Friday morning, the 4th of September, with a clean 5 ft south swell (448 energy) and a light offshore, but it's not the same quality as the start of the week.
So, bottom line: wait it out. The first two weeks are a write-off. The best on offer is the Monday morning, 31st of August, and the Tuesday, 1st of September. Mark your calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, strong winds from the S by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 7 | S 6 | SSE 5 | SE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 62 | 33 | 68 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 102 | 123 | 178 | 121 | 87 | 69 | 61 | 41 | 42 | 74 | 51 | 36 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | off | off | off | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:52PM1.34m | 2:06AM0.94m | 2:52PM1.35m | 3:30AM0.91m | 3:55PM1.38m | 4:54AM0.95m | 4:52PM1.43m | 5:52AM1.02m | 5:41PM1.50m | 6:35AM1.11m | 6:23PM1.57m | 7:12AM1.20m | 7:02PM1.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:45PM0.63m | 7:47AM0.60m | 10:07PM0.62m | 8:49AM0.64m | 11:13PM0.55m | 9:57AM0.64m | 11:59PM0.47m | 11:00AM0.61m | 00:36AM0.38m | 11:53AM0.55m | 1:10AM0.29m | 12:39PM0.48m | 1:42AM0.22m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |  |  | | |  | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | S 6 | SE 3 | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 62 | 33 | 68 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 102 | 123 | 178 | 121 | 87 | 69 | 61 | 40 | 42 | 36 | 25 | 36 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 10 | E 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 9 | ENE 6 | S 8 | ENE 6 | SSE 16 | ENE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | S 8 | S 16 | S 16 | S 6 |
| kJ | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 48 | 7 | 32 | 38 | 24 | 11 | 41 | 35 | 20 | 20 | 27 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 13 | S 12 | E 9 | S 10 | SE 7 | S 9 | ENE 6 | E 8 | ENE 9 | E 14 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 16 | S 4 | S 16 | S 10 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 29 | 26 | 8 | 16 | 21 | 1 | 20 | 7 | 34 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 6 | — | — | NW 3 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | — | S 3 | S 3 | — | E 5 | — | ENE 6 | — | — | SSE 3 | S 4 | S 6 | SSE 5 | — |
| kJ | — | 29 | — | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 4 | — | 28 | — | 70 | — | — | 3 | 5 | 74 | 51 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 155 | 0 | 23 | 92 | 164 | 164 | 294 | 23 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 224 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 107 | 241 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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