
Surf Forecasts:
North wall surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with 2,254 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period with ESE 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore 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 Monday (Jul 20) 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 1.0m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for North wall over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got coming down the line at Northwall.
Right off the bat, this forecast is a bit of a mixed bag with a rough start. The first few days are dominated by a big, powerful swell that’s just too much for this beach/groyne/river setup. Monday the 20th has a solid 12 ft swell from the ESE with strong wave energy (2824), but with a stiff 19 mph cross-shore wind, it's going to be a messy, dangerous mess. Not the one for a paddle.
That big energy lingers into Tuesday morning the 21st with a 7 ft swell, but it’s still cross-shore and the conditions are only marginal. You’d be fighting the chop for nothing.
The real window of opportunity starts to open up on Wednesday the 22nd. The swell drops to a clean 5 ft from the east, and the wind swings to a light offshore from the west at just 3 mph. That’s the kind of morning that makes you want to call in sick. Wave energy is moderate (467), but with that offshore breeze the walls should be clean and rideable. This is your first standout – get on it.
Thursday the 23rd keeps the good run going. Morning brings a clean 4 ft easterly swell with a light offshore breeze from the WSW. It’s smaller, but clean and fun for a beginner-friendly wave. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy with a cross-onshore wind, so make the most of the early session.
Friday the 24th sees a pulse of shorter-period swell (6-7 seconds) push through, around 6 ft, but the wind is cross-offshore. It’s manageable, but that short period isn’t doing the shape any favors. Not terrible, but not the best.
Then we hit the true standout of the whole outlook. Saturday morning the 25th has a 4 ft south swell with a period stretching out to 11 seconds, and the wind is glassy – pure WNW at 3 mph. The wave energy is moderate (620) but the conditions will be pristine. That long-period groundswell is going to wrap in nicely here, delivering proper shape. This is the session to be excited about.
Sunday the 26th keeps the quality up with a 4 ft SSE swell and a 14-second period. The morning offshore from the WSW keeps it clean. It’s a touch smaller, but that period is dreamy. The waves will have some punch and the lulls between sets will make paddling out a breeze.
The second week settles into a pattern of smaller south swells, generally in the 3 ft to 4 ft range, with long periods between 11 and 17 seconds. The offshore winds are more regular, especially in the mornings, making for a lot of clean, if modest, surf. The highlight of the second week looks like Monday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th mornings, both with light offshore winds and clean, glassy lines. On the 29th, that 2 ft wave from the SSE with a 17-second period is tiny, but the shape on that long-period energy will be a thing of beauty on the right bank.
Thursday the 30th sees a spike in wave energy (813) as a 4 ft SSE swell with a 17-second period arrives, but the wind goes cross-offshore, keeping it cleaner than it could be. The afternoon gets a bit rough.
From there into early August, the trend continues with similar-sized south swells, but the winds get a bit stronger and more cross-offshore. It stays surfable for those who know what they're doing, but the magic of that Saturday the 25th isn't going to repeat.
Overall, the best bet is without a doubt Saturday the 25th for that glassy, long-period south swell. A close second is Wednesday the 22nd for the clean east swell. Everything else is small but rideable fun.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Mon morning, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 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 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 10 | S 11 | SSE 13 | S 12 | SSE 14 | S 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2787 | 1882 | 1479 | 942 | 552 | 544 | 417 | 364 | 263 | 205 | 165 | 109 | 256 | 355 | 402 | 345 | 531 | 279 | 507 | 371 | 390 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 12:52PM1.12m | 00:43AM1.16m | 1:49PM1.13m | 1:25AM1.03m | 2:55PM1.17m | 2:15AM0.93m | 4:04PM1.23m | 3:22AM0.87m | 5:04PM1.32m | 4:42AM0.86m | 5:54PM1.41m | 5:49AM0.89m | 6:35PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:45PM0.45m | 7:15AM0.28m | 7:47PM0.56m | 7:55AM0.33m | 9:04PM0.63m | 8:39AM0.37m | 10:39PM0.65m | 9:30AM0.40m | 11:55PM0.62m | 10:26AM0.41m | 00:47AM0.56m | 11:21AM0.40m | 1:27AM0.49m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 10 | S 11 | SSE 13 | S 12 | SSE 14 | S 12 | S 12 |
37 | 1882 | 1479 | 942 | 552 | 544 | 417 | 364 | 263 | 205 | 165 | 109 | 79 | 34 | 402 | 345 | 531 | 279 | 507 | 371 | 390 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 13 | S 12 | S 12 | ENE 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 18 | E 9 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 |
— | 57 | 75 | 70 | 82 | 58 | 35 | 31 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 26 | 42 | 61 | 57 | 34 | 28 | 21 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 20 | S 11 | E 9 | E 9 | S 14 | E 12 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 18 | S 16 | E 10 | SSE 16 | NE 8 | SSE 18 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | E 8 |
— | — | — | 8 | 61 | 26 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 47 | 214 | 9 | 66 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2787 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 256 | 355 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 65 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 27 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 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.










