Surf Forecasts:
Nobbys Reef surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period, S swell with 464 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Nobbys Reef in the next 16 days are 1.3m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) 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 0.8m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nobbys Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks for Nobbys Reef. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so strap in.
The truth is, the first stretch is pretty grim. We’re looking at a run of days where the swell is tiny and the conditions are just… ordinary. Nothing worth paddling out for. That’s the case right through the 5th, with most mornings and afternoons offering ankle-biters in the 2ft range. The odd clean window pops up, like the Wednesday afternoon with that offshore wind, but there’s just no power in the water. The combined swell energy is weak, mostly under 100 (like 102 and 84), so you’re fighting for nothing out there.
The weekend doesn’t get much better. Saturday will give you a couple of waves with the northerly offshore, but again, it’s small stuff, around 2ft. Sunday’s a write-off with onshore junk. We do start to see some more energy building on Sunday afternoon though, the combined energy jumps to 477, but the wind is on it, making it messy.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Mark your calendar for Monday the 7th. That morning looks like the first real chance. Light offshore wind, clean conditions, and a 4ft southerly swell, pushing the energy up to 310. It’s a reef break, so it might be a bit inconsistent, but when those sets come through, it should have some shape to it. That’s your first proper call.
From there, we go into a bit of a lull again. The 8th and 9th are poor with onshore winds and lumpy conditions. But hold on, because the 10th is where the ocean wakes up. The swell jumps, with 7ft on Thursday morning, and the energy rockets up to 861. Wind is cross-shore, which isn’t perfect, but the power is there. Then, Thursday afternoon sees a serious pulse of long-period groundswell at 18 seconds, and the energy goes through the roof to 1665. That’s a big one, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s more of a beast than a beauty.
The real standout, the one you want to plan for, is Friday the 11th. Morning session, 7ft of SSE swell with a 13-second period. It’s a clean, gentle cross-shore breeze, and the energy is a massive 1532. This is big, lined-up reef surf. The kind of day that gets the heart pumping. It’s well overhead and powerful with that long period, so it’s strictly for the experienced crew. Nobbys Reef will be doing its thing. This is the pick of the fortnight, no doubt, even if it’s not perfect. The afternoon drops to 6ft and the breeze swings onshore, so get it early.
After that, the power fades. Saturday the 12th has a fun 4ft in the morning with clean conditions, a decent follow-up but nothing like Friday. Then we’re back to small and weak. There’s a glassy little window on the morning of the 15th, but it’s only 1ft. The 16th afternoon looks interesting, a moderate offshore and a clean 3ft with an energy of 272, good for a grovel on the longboard.
The second week isn't worth losing sleep over. That Friday the 11th is the one. It’s a long way out, so treat it as exciting but not set in stone. The water temp is 65°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.
So, be patient, wait for that Friday, and let the reef do the rest.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Thu morning, light winds from the SW by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 10 | SSE 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 7 | S 12 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
82 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 33 | 130 | 186 | 44 | 71 | 41 | 27 | 58 | 464 | 198 | 302 | 207 | 206 | 359 | 280 | 128 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:50PM1.23m | 12:22PM1.51m | 00:54AM1.12m | 1:26PM1.51m | 2:14AM1.04m | 2:41PM1.52m | 3:47AM1.04m | 3:58PM1.58m | 5:08AM1.11m | 5:08PM1.65m | 6:07AM1.21m | 6:08PM1.71m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:53PM0.37m | 5:47AM0.39m | 7:02PM0.42m | 6:42AM0.47m | 8:22PM0.44m | 7:51AM0.54m | 9:49PM0.40m | 9:11AM0.55m | 11:04PM0.32m | 10:30AM0.51m | 00:02AM0.23m | 11:39AM0.42m | 00:51AM0.15m | |||||||
— | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 21 | 27 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 29 | 30 | 23 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 22 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 24 | 25 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 10 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 7 | S 12 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 |
82 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 33 | 130 | 186 | 43 | 71 | 41 | 27 | 58 | 464 | 198 | 302 | 207 | 68 | 359 | 280 | 128 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | WNW 3 | ENE 10 | S 6 | ENE 10 | SSE 12 | E 9 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 |
19 | 19 | 18 | 2 | 18 | 17 | 9 | 44 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | ENE 10 | SSE 13 | ENE 10 | S 18 | NE 4 | — | E 9 | E 11 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 4 | E 10 | E 11 | N 9 | NE 9 | SSE 10 |
1 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 6 | 2 | — | 7 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | SSW 5 | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 4 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — | ENE 2 | SSE 7 | — | — | — |
6 | 1 | 4 | — | 13 | — | — | — | 2 | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 206 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 35 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 44 | 66 | 81 | 0 |
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.











