Surf Forecasts:
Norries Head surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, SE swell with 162 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Norries Head in the next 16 days are 1.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Norries Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for Norries Head is a real struggle. We’re looking at a long, flat run where the swell just doesn’t show up with any quality. The first surfable moment doesn’t pop up until Wednesday, September 2nd, and even then it’s barely a whisper.
The whole pattern is a tale of tiny, weak east swells getting hammered by onshore or cross-shore winds most days. The combined wave energy is mostly in the double digits, very weak, only pushing into the low 100s on a couple of days but that’s when the wind is messy. There’s a long gap of nothing worth paddling out for from the start, right through to Tuesday, September 1st.
The first real chance is Wednesday, September 2nd morning. Norries Head is a point, but it’s inconsistent and often crowded. The swell is a tiny 2ft from the east with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a weak 74. The good news is we get a clean cross-offshore wind from the NNW. It’s surfable but very ordinary – you’ll be scratching for little 2ft waves by the afternoon. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
Thursday, September 3rd morning is a repeat: 2ft east swell, 9-second period, clean cross-off wind from the NNW. Energy is 61. Again, surfable but nothing to get excited about, and it drops off in the afternoon.
Then we hit another flat spell. Friday and Saturday, September 4th and 5th, are tiny with poor conditions. Sunday, September 6th, the swell jumps to 4ft from the north, but it’s a short-period, messy wind swell with a 6-second period, and the wind is onshore. The energy hits 127 (moderate), but it’s poor surf. Monday, September 7th, is similar – 4ft to 5ft from the north-northeast, short period, onshore wind, and the energy climbs to 227. That’s not paddle surf, that’s a washing machine. Honestly, for a beach and reef setup like this, with that kind of wind and short-period junk, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle session.
The rest of the run from September 8th onward is back to tiny, weak east swells, with a few clean mornings but barely enough water to wet your board. The only standout window is the clean, cross-off mornings on Wednesday, September 2nd and Thursday, September 3rd. They’re the best on offer, but they’re still very small. If you’re a beginner, the 2ft stuff is fine, but the crowds are likely, so plan accordingly. For the rest of us, it’s a long wait for better days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 6 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
93 | 36 | 42 | 39 | 23 | 22 | 36 | 73 | 71 | 68 | 70 | 48 | 45 | 45 | 43 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:03AM1.34m | 9:13PM1.58m | 9:41AM1.38m | 9:49PM1.47m | 10:23AM1.40m | 10:29PM1.32m | 11:12AM1.39m | 11:15PM1.16m | 12:11PM1.38m | 00:16AM1.01m | 1:25PM1.38m | 1:39AM0.89m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:06AM0.03m | 2:59PM0.10m | 3:36AM0.04m | 3:41PM0.16m | 4:09AM0.07m | 4:29PM0.24m | 4:45AM0.13m | 5:26PM0.34m | 5:27AM0.20m | 6:40PM0.42m | 6:22AM0.27m | 8:17PM0.45m | |||||||
— | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | N 5 | E 9 | E 10 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | S 9 |
137 | 36 | 42 | 39 | 23 | 22 | 136 | 82 | 94 | 68 | 70 | 48 | 45 | 16 | 43 | 28 | 25 | 18 | 44 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | NE 15 | NE 12 | NE 13 | SSE 19 | SSE 17 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | NNE 5 |
36 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 35 | 28 | 22 | 73 | 71 | 41 | 75 | 52 | 33 | 45 | 19 | 33 | 28 | 28 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | NE 15 | N 15 | NE 13 | NE 13 | E 12 | E 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | SE 11 | ENE 4 | NE 11 | NE 11 | SSE 10 | NNE 8 | NE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 |
4 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 36 | 25 | 23 | 32 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 6 | 4 | 33 | 32 | 27 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | — | — | ENE 5 | NNE 4 | NNW 4 | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | S 3 | SSE 5 | — |
93 | 286 | 454 | 325 | 294 | 262 | — | — | 7 | 11 | 11 | 28 | 17 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 1 | 9 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 20 | 223 | 0 | 0 | 246 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











