
Surf Forecasts:
North wall surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with 2,258 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for North wall this week:
The surf forecast for North wall over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North wall in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North wall over the next 16 days.
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for decent surfing at the Northwall. We’ve got some solid swell coming, but the wind is all wrong, turning it into a messy, lumpy mess. The real window of opportunity doesn’t open up until the very end of the run, and even then, it’s for the more experienced crew.
The first few days from Monday the 13th right through to about Wednesday the 22nd are pretty grim. The swell is small to start, with combined energy as low as 75 (weak), and it’s not from a great direction. The Northwall is a beach/groyne setup that loves a good SE swell, and we don’t get that with any quality for a while. The wind is mostly cross or cross-off, and often strong, meaning the surf is blown out, lumpy, and just not worth the paddle out. For a few days there, like the 16th to the 18th, the swell actually gets up to 8ft, but with a short period of 8 seconds and a fresh cross-shore wind, it’s just a windy, choppy mess. The combined energy hits 1000+ (strong), but it’s all bark and no bite for a surfer.
Then we hit a bit of a turning point. On Thursday the 23rd, things start to look up. The swell is still a solid 6ft from the east, but the period stretches to 11 seconds, which means more energy and better shaped waves. The wind turns light and variable, giving us clean conditions. The combined energy is 906 (moderate to strong). This is the first real sign of life. The 24th and 25th keep the trend going with clean surf and 5ft to 5ft east swell, perfect for a longer board. The water temp is about average for the time of year at 69°F.
The real standout, though, is the 27th and 28th July. This is the best on offer. On Monday the 27th morning, we’ve got a 5ft east swell with a very long 12-second period, and the wind is WSW offshore at just 10 km/h. That’s a recipe for glassy, clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is 583 (moderate). Then Tuesday the 28th morning is even better: 4ft of east swell with a 13-second period, and a light SW offshore. This is the sweet spot. It’s not huge, so it’s not a big-wave day, but the quality will be there for a surfer who knows what they’re doing.
A word of caution: the Northwall can get crowded, and with clean conditions like that, it will likely be busy. Also, because the swell is long-period, it can race a bit at a beach break, but the offshore wind and clean conditions should keep it fun.
For the first week, I’d honestly say the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the strong cross-winds and solid swell. But by the 27th and 28th, it’s all ours.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 17°C on Fri afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mon 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 10 | S 5 | ESE 9 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 30 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 427 | 1081 | 744 | 825 | 645 | 646 | 731 | 769 | 636 | 969 | 1350 | 2038 | 2239 | 1999 | 1501 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | off | off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 7:43PM1.83m | 8:02AM1.09m | 8:31PM1.86m | 8:52AM1.12m | 9:17PM1.84m | 9:40AM1.14m | 10:01PM1.75m | 10:26AM1.14m | 10:43PM1.62m | 11:13AM1.13m | 11:24PM1.47m | 12:00PM1.12m | 00:04AM1.31m | 12:52PM1.12m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:30AM0.20m | 1:43PM0.13m | 3:16AM0.15m | 2:35PM0.11m | 4:00AM0.12m | 3:25PM0.12m | 4:42AM0.12m | 4:14PM0.16m | 5:21AM0.14m | 5:02PM0.24m | 6:00AM0.17m | 5:52PM0.34m | 6:37AM0.22m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | |
5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | 5:07 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 5 | ESE 9 | S 15 | E 11 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | S 23 | S 22 | S 20 | SSE 19 | SSE 19 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 |
29 | 30 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 36 | 35 | 61 | 50 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 8 | S 12 | N 10 | — | E 11 | — | S 18 | SSE 16 | S 17 | NE 9 | S 23 | S 22 | E 18 | E 17 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 |
26 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | — | 6 | 25 | 23 | 3 | 11 | 36 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 10 | NE 10 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 9 | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 |
20 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 2 | WSW 2 | S 4 | — | S 4 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
— | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 33 | 427 | 1081 | 744 | 825 | 645 | 646 | 731 | 769 | 636 | 969 | 1350 | 2038 | 2239 | 1999 | 1501 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 189 | 0 | 265 | 315 | 396 | 39 | 38 | 26 | 38 | 247 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 79 | 578 | 578 | 362 | 578 | 65 | 65 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Coast - New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the North wall Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for North wall provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at North wall can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our North wall 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 (North wall) 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 North wall 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.
North wall is 3 km (2 miles) from Ballina. If you plan a holiday in North Coast - New South Wales, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ballina. Ballina has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











