
Surf Forecasts:
North wall surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 4,033 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with SE 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 17s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at North wall in the next 16 days are 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North wall over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Northwall over the next couple of weeks. Basically, it’s a bit of a slow burner, with a few windows of proper surf, but you’ve got to be patient and pick your moments. The start of the period is looking pretty weak, then we’ve got a big pulse of swell that’s going to be too much for this spot, before things settle back down to a more manageable, if still inconsistent, run.
The first real chance you’ve got to paddle out is on the morning of Sunday the 13th. It’s not going to be epic, but there’s a small 4ft SE swell with an 11-second period. That’s a bit of groundswell energy, and with the light SSE breeze, it’ll be cross-shore and a little bumpy, but rideable. The wave energy is moderate at 470. Don’t expect much, but you won’t be entirely skunked.
Monday the 14th, the morning looks like the pick of the early week. The wind drops to glassy, which is a massive positive. There’s a small 3ft SSE swell, and with that dead calm surface, conditions will be clean. It’s small, but it could be fun on the longboard. Later that afternoon the NE wind picks up and chops it out, killing the vibe.
Tuesday the 15th is a write-off. The swell is tiny and the wind is all over the shop. Not worth the paddle.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The middle of the week turns wild. A strong S swell fills in on Wednesday the 16th, but it’s short-period and lumpy, and the wind is howling. The energy jumps up to 434, then 1324, but it’s messy and raw. This is a day to stay on the beach and watch, not paddle out.
The swell peaks on Thursday the 17th. We’re looking at a solid 12ft to 13ft SSE swell with a heaving 2258 to 2773 energy. That is strong to very strong. The issue is the size. This is way over the limit for Northwall. It’s a beginner spot, and this is expert-only surf-and even then, it looks like a washing machine. It’ll be too big and dangerous. Give it a miss.
The standout window comes on the morning of Friday the 18th. The swell has dropped to a much more manageable 6ft from the S, but the wind has swung around to a light SW, making it offshore. That’s the magic combination. Clean, hollow-ish lines, with real push behind them. The energy is strong at 1120, and with that offshore wind it’s going to be the best morning of the whole run. This is the one to circle on the calendar.
After that peak, things settle down again. The weekend looks mediocre, with small SE swells and bumpy cross-onshore winds. There’s a tiny window on Monday the 21st morning with a glassy surface and a 1ft SE swell, but that’s barely breaking. You’d need a foamie and a lot of hope.
The following Tuesday is flat out poor. Then, there’s a sneaky pulse of swell on Wednesday the 23rd, but the wind is onshore and it’s messy. The energy is up around 1000, so there’s power, but no shape.
The last few days of the forecast into the 28th are mostly poor, with small, onshore windswell. There are no real redeeming features. It’s a lot of chop and not much else.
So, to sum up: the standout is definitely Friday the 18th morning. That’s your wave. The morning of Monday the 14th is a quieter, cleaner second choice. The big swell on Thursday the 17th looks more interesting for the kite surfers than anyone paddling-just too heavy and blown out for this break.
Keep an eye on the charts, but this is how it’s looking from here.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue night, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Wed afternoon, light winds from the E by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | NE 5 | NE 5 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 10 | SE 11 | SE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
210 | 328 | 235 | 188 | 161 | 118 | 97 | 64 | 62 | 29 | 417 | 1314 | 3204 | 2251 | 2766 | 1947 | 687 | 930 | 1040 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:31AM1.46m | 9:42PM1.38m | 10:09AM1.46m | 10:14PM1.25m | 10:47AM1.43m | 10:46PM1.13m | 11:27AM1.38m | 11:19PM1.01m | 12:12PM1.33m | 11:58PM0.91m | 1:07PM1.28m | 00:57AM0.82m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:22AM0.15m | 3:42PM0.23m | 3:52AM0.19m | 4:24PM0.32m | 4:21AM0.25m | 5:07PM0.42m | 4:51AM0.32m | 5:55PM0.53m | 5:23AM0.39m | 6:53PM0.61m | 6:00AM0.46m | 8:09PM0.65m | |||||||
— | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | ENE 6 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | E 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | S 19 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 12 |
210 | 328 | 235 | 188 | 161 | 118 | 28 | 64 | 56 | 29 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 430 | 930 | 1040 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 18 | SSE 20 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 | ENE 5 | E 10 | SSE 11 | E 6 | NE 12 | SSE 10 | NNE 5 | S 17 | — | — | — | E 12 | E 12 | S 10 | S 10 |
110 | 129 | 65 | 26 | 15 | 7 | 97 | 16 | 5 | 18 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 318 | 184 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 13 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 12 | E 10 | E 11 | E 15 | ESE 6 | E 14 | — | — | — | — | NE 16 | N 16 | NE 15 | S 18 |
13 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 | NNW 3 | N 3 | NE 5 | NNW 4 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 10 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 16 | 2 | 5 | 62 | 26 | 417 | 1314 | 3204 | 2251 | 2766 | 1947 | 687 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 8 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 248 | 0 | 1 | 703 | 0 | 281 | 1306 | 774 | 26 | 247 | 79 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
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.










