Surf Forecasts:
Norries Head surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 496 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Norries Head this week:
The surf forecast for Norries Head over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Norries Head in the next 16 days are 1.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Norries Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch of the coast is looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long, lean run ahead, and for the most part, you’ll be staring at small, messy waves. The first real bit of interest doesn’t even show up until the first week of September, and even that’s nothing to write home about.
Wednesday the 19th kicks things off with about 5 feet of southeast swell, but a cross-onshore breeze and a bit of chop make it a messy, marginal call. The energy is moderate at 600, but the quality just isn’t there. That trend holds through Thursday and Friday—dropping to under 3 feet with short, weak periods. It’s the kind of stuff you’d only bother with if you were desperate.
The weekend and into the following week is a flat spell. Saturday through to the end of August sees waves barely reaching 3 feet, with periods around 7-8 seconds. There’s a few glassy windows here and there, like Sunday morning and Monday morning at Norries Head, but the swell is just too small and weak to get excited about. The combined energy drops into the double digits—weak stuff. A couple of those mornings are clean, but it’s tiny.
From the 25th through the 31st, it’s a real drought. We're talking 2 to 3 feet waves, short period, and mostly cross or cross-onshore winds. There are a few offshore kicks here and there, but honestly, it’s a blank run. The whole week is pretty much a write-off for surfing.
Then, on Tuesday the 1st of September, there’s a late pulse. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 3 feet and the period stretch right out to 12 seconds, with the energy climbing to 341. But that wind is blowing cross-onshore at 12 mph, so it’s still sloppy. Not a surfer’s day.
The only real hope comes on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning brings a 5-foot southeast swell, with a 10-second period and moderate energy at 516. The wind is still cross-onshore, but it’s lighter. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s the biggest and most powerful swell of the whole window. It's the only thing that even comes close to a standout, and it’s still a marginal one. You’d want to be on a point break like Norries Head (Tweed Coast) to make the most of that southeast direction, but it’ll be a bit bumpy. The water temp is sitting about 68°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no worries there.
After that pulse, it fades fast back to tiny, weak surf on the 3rd. So, there you have it—a long, flat stretch with only a brief, average pulse way off in the distance. Not a great outlook, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
515 | 478 | 339 | 345 | 273 | 93 | 72 | 46 | 84 | 86 | 70 | 76 | 87 | 81 | 62 | 60 | 81 | 116 | 107 | 87 | 109 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:42PM1.24m | 00:20AM0.96m | 1:49PM1.21m | 1:26AM0.85m | 3:05PM1.21m | 3:01AM0.80m | 4:16PM1.27m | 4:25AM0.83m | 5:11PM1.35m | 5:23AM0.89m | 5:54PM1.45m | 6:06AM0.97m | 6:31PM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:54PM0.56m | 6:36AM0.34m | 8:25PM0.62m | 7:36AM0.40m | 10:07PM0.59m | 8:54AM0.42m | 11:16PM0.51m | 10:07AM0.38m | 00:01AM0.41m | 11:04AM0.31m | 00:36AM0.32m | 11:49AM0.23m | 1:08AM0.23m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | ENE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
515 | 57 | 196 | 345 | 273 | 93 | 72 | 46 | 84 | 86 | 70 | 76 | 87 | 81 | 62 | 60 | 81 | 116 | 107 | 87 | 109 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | E 11 | — | NE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | NE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | S 9 | NE 7 | S 7 | SSE 6 | S 10 | S 9 | N 5 |
102 | 56 | 45 | 10 | — | 39 | 32 | 28 | 21 | 14 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 15 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 9 | S 9 | — | — | E 7 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | E 13 | E 11 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 9 | NE 10 | S 9 | NNE 7 | S 10 | SSE 5 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
5 | 27 | 6 | — | — | 52 | 25 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 3 | 12 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 10 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 2 | NNW 3 | N 4 | — |
— | 478 | 339 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 14 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 15 | 223 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 196 | 0 | 125 | 196 | 21 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Norries Head Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Norries Head provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Norries Head can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Norries Head 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 (Norries Head) 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 Norries Head 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.
Norries Head is 14 km (9 miles) from Banora Point. If you plan a holiday in North Coast - New South Wales, look for hotels and other accommodation in Banora Point. Banora Point has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











