Surf Forecasts:
Norries Head surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, ESE swell with 273 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period with SE 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. 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 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Norries Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here.
First up, we’re looking at Norries Head. It’s a point break that’s inconsistent and can get crowded. The water temperature is sitting at 68°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing to worry about on that front.
Right now, the surf is pretty ordinary. The swell is coming from the ESE at around 6ft with a short period of 8 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-onshore from the SE. Combined energy is moderate at 342, but the conditions are messy. Not worth paddling out.
Thursday afternoon stays poor with similar conditions. Friday morning, the 21st, sees the swell drop to 3ft from the ENE, period still short at 7 seconds, but the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the NNE. It’s clean, but tiny. Surfable but very ordinary. Friday afternoon gets worse again with a stronger cross-shore.
Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are much the same: small waves, 3ft, ENE, short period, and winds that are either cross-off or cross-on. Nothing to get excited about. Monday the 24th morning offers a brief moment of glassy conditions with the tiniest 2ft swell, but it’s barely a ripple.
The pattern continues through the week – small, short-period ENE swell, with the odd clean window but nothing substantial. The combined energy rarely cracks 100. The wind is often cross-off from the north or northwest, which keeps the surface clean, but the wave size is just too small to get your heart racing.
Then we get to the 31st of August, Monday morning. That’s the one. The swell jumps to 5ft from the ENE, period still short at 7 seconds, but the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NNW. The combined energy hits 252, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the standout of the whole period. The winds are cleaning it up nicely, and the point should be offering some fun, rideable waves. It’s not huge, but it’s the best we’ve got. Crowds are likely, so get in early.
The 1st of September, Tuesday morning, is also a strong option. The swell drops a touch to 4ft, but it’s from the east with a longer period of 9 seconds, and the wind is glassy from the WNW. Combined energy is 339. This is clean, glassy, and the longer period will give the waves more shape at a point break like Norries. This is another top pick.
After that, the 2nd of September sees a pulse of 5ft east swell with a period of 10 seconds, but the wind is onshore and strong from the SSE, making it choppy and messy. A pass for paddle surfing.
The 3rd of September, Thursday morning, is another standout. The swell is 5ft from the east, period 10 seconds, and the wind is glassy from the ENE. The combined energy is a solid 395. This is clean, lined up, and should offer some proper waves. The point will be working well.
The final days, the 4th and 5th of September, drop back to smaller 4ft and 3ft east swell with clean cross-offshore winds, but the energy is moderate and the conditions are more marginal.
So, the two true standouts in this 16-day window are the morning of the 31st of August and the morning of the 3rd of September. Both have solid swell, clean winds, and the point will be offering good waves. The 1st of September morning is also a beauty. Make the most of those windows, because the rest of the time is either small, short-period, or wind-affected.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 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 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
318 | 273 | 82 | 56 | 49 | 66 | 70 | 72 | 81 | 89 | 81 | 61 | 43 | 72 | 96 | 118 | 99 | 87 | 77 | 101 | 61 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 6:43AM1.05m | 7:04PM1.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:29PM0.16m | 1:38AM0.16m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 15 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 |
318 | 273 | 82 | 56 | 49 | 66 | 70 | 72 | 81 | 89 | 81 | 61 | 43 | 72 | 96 | 118 | 99 | 87 | 77 | 101 | 61 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | — | NE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | NE 10 | S 5 | NE 7 | SSE 6 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | NNE 8 |
24 | — | 44 | 42 | 38 | 27 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 49 | 49 | 31 | 31 | 17 | 16 | 37 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | E 13 | E 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | NE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SE 6 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | NNE 7 | SE 16 | SE 16 | S 9 |
— | — | 60 | 35 | 29 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 13 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NNE 3 | — | NNE 3 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 2 | N 4 | N 4 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 3 | 6 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 14 | 5 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 223 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 491 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
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.











