Surf Forecasts:
Nobbys Reef surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period, S swell with 586 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 5s. 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 1.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 1PM. 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+) | 7PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
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 the surf coming our way. It’s a pretty quiet start at Nobbys Reef, so don’t rush down there just yet.
The first few days are all about small, unremarkable swell. Tuesday morning the 1st kicks off with a 2ft south swell (189 combined energy) and cross-off winds, surfable but nothing to write home about. That theme continues through Wednesday and Thursday – tiny waves, mostly in the 2ft to 2ft range, with the wind flipping around. By Thursday afternoon the swell drops right off, and it’s pretty flat for the rest of the week.
We do get a couple of brief windows worth a mention. On Friday morning the 4th, the wind goes glassy with a 3ft south swell (187 combined energy) – that’s your best early call. Clean, small, but at least it’s not a battle. Then on Monday morning the 7th, there’s a 3ft south swell (296 combined energy) with light cross-shore breeze, but the tide might be tricky. Still, it’s a paddle.
Now, the big news comes way out in the second week. Thursday the 10th sees a jump in size – 10ft south swell – but it comes with strong onshore winds and messy conditions. That’s a pass. However, Friday morning the 11th is the standout: a 16ft south swell with a 13-second period, cross-shore winds, and the combined energy is massive at 15175. The catch? It’s predicted to be too big for Nobbys Reef. This is expert territory only – the reef will be handling a huge, powerful groundswell, and the crowd profile says it can get busy there. If you’re experienced and hungry, this is the one, but you’ll need your wits about you.
After that, the swell backs off again into the 3ft to 4ft range through the 12th to 14th, with some tricky onshore winds spoiling the party. A brief, clean 3ft east-southeast swell shows up on the morning of Monday the 14th with glassy conditions and calm winds (328 combined energy) – another small but tidy option.
The water temp is sitting at 65°F, which is basically bang on average for this time of year. No surprises there.
So the headline: Friday the 11th is the big one if you’ve got the skills. Otherwise, grab the small glassy windows on Friday the 4th morning or Monday the 14th morning. Rest of it is a bit of a wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
151 | 106 | 74 | 82 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 33 | 91 | 143 | 28 | 71 | 48 | 27 | 233 | 345 | 160 | 389 | 230 | 184 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:58PM1.36m | 11:28AM1.51m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:56PM0.32m | 5:03AM0.31m | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 27 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 20 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
151 | 106 | 74 | 82 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 33 | 91 | 143 | 28 | 71 | 48 | 27 | 233 | 345 | 160 | 389 | 230 | 184 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 5 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 6 | E 10 | NE 4 | E 9 | ENE 5 | E 11 | ENE 10 | S 14 | S 13 | ENE 4 | E 10 | ENE 6 |
22 | 11 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 132 | 126 | 3 | 7 | 40 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 12 | ENE 10 | NE 6 | NE 5 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | NNW 4 | SSE 13 | ENE 10 | S 18 | S 11 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 10 |
6 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 17 | 19 | 6 | 21 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 2 | NNW 2 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | WSW 2 | SSW 5 | — | — | WNW 2 | NNE 3 | WNW 4 | WSW 2 | — | ESE 2 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | NE 6 |
2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 16 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 18 | 1 | — | 1 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 71 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 9 | 271 | 29 | 30 | 136 |
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.











