Surf Forecasts:
Norries Head surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 568 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period with ESE 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 1.6m 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 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM. 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Norries Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Norries Head, and I gotta be straight with you: it’s a tough stretch ahead. We’ve got a long, drawn-out run of small, mushy, and often messy surf on the cards. The first real chance of anything worth getting wet for doesn’t even show up until the 18th, and even then, it’s a marginal call.
The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so at least you won’t need the full rubber. But the waves… yeah, they’re the problem.
The 18th starts things off with some chest-high lines, but the wind is going to be junk from the southeast, putting a chop on it. By the 19th, there’s a bit more energy, but it’s still cross-onshore and pretty average. The standout, if you can call it that, is the Wednesday morning on the 19th. Swell drops a touch to 5ft, but the period pushes up to 11 seconds, and the energy is moderate (667). It’s still cross-onshore, but it’s the best combination of size and power we see in this whole stretch. Don’t expect it to be epic, but you might get a few clean ones if you’re keen.
After that, it’s a slow slide into smaller and smaller surf. We're talking knee-to-waist high slop for days. The end of the first week and into the second is pretty bleak. There’s a couple of mornings with light offshore winds that will make it look clean, but there’s just no wave to push you around. It's a lot of paddling for nothing. We finally see a little bump of energy around the 30th, with a period jump and the swell swinging around to the ENE. It’s not big, but it looks like it could be the most fun we’ve had in a while, though I wouldn’t book a trip around it.
Honestly, this is a stretch where you'd be better off checking the tide and the sandbanks a few hours before you paddle out. It’s not going to be a week for the highlight reel.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 21°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 531 | 527 | 500 | 568 | 437 | 296 | 221 | 318 | 90 | 59 | 97 | 84 | 96 | 105 | 126 | 102 | 81 | 81 | 64 | 64 | 68 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:48AM1.28m | 11:35PM1.11m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:49PM0.45m | 5:52AM0.26m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | 3 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SE 15 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
| kJ | 15 | 8 | 275 | 568 | 437 | 296 | 221 | 318 | 90 | 59 | 97 | 84 | 96 | 105 | 126 | 102 | 81 | 81 | 64 | 64 | 68 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SE 14 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | — | NE 6 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 16 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 32 | 30 | 120 | 99 | 70 | 54 | 46 | — | 49 | 42 | 29 | 22 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 11 | 11 | 33 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | — | ESE 12 | S 16 | S 9 | S 9 | NE 9 | — | E 7 | SSE 8 | S 13 | E 13 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SSE 7 | S 9 | S 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 8 | NNE 7 |
| kJ | 13 | — | 131 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 3 | — | 51 | 40 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | N 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | N 3 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNE 4 |
| kJ | 531 | 527 | 500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 12 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 196 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 475 | 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.
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