Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Beach surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, E swell with 991 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pelican Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Pelican Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pelican Beach in the next 16 days are 2.1m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break it down for the imperial crowd.
We’ve got a rough start to the outlook. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th of July are washed out with rain and crappy winds. Don’t bother.
Saturday the 18th is still poor with onshore winds. Sunday the 19th shows a 6ft east swell with a 10-second period, but the cross-onshore wind keeps it choppy. The combined energy is moderate at 870, so there’s some push, but it’s not clean.
The big winner is Monday the 20th of July. Monday morning is glassy, with clear skies and a light offshore breeze. The swell is a solid 5ft from the east, with a 10-second period. Combined energy is 660 — moderate. This is your best chance for clean, fun waves. Water temp is about 65°, which is normal for this time of year. Pelican Beach is the spot. Crowds are common, so get there early. Afternoon stays clean with a cross-off breeze.
Tuesday the 21st stays clean but the swell drops to around 5ft. Still fun, but smaller.
From Wednesday the 22nd on, the surf fades to knee to waist-high for the rest of the week. Not worth it.
Then there’s a big gap until Wednesday the 29th of July. That’s over a week away. The forecast shows a 10ft south swell with a 10-second period and offshore winds. But the combined energy is massive at 3015 — that’s very strong. The swell is too big for this break. Expert-only, if at all. The days after that get messy again with strong onshore winds.
So, your best bet is Monday the 20th of July at Pelican Beach. Clean, head-high waves, glassy morning. That’s the call.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Thu morning, calm by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 588 | 569 | 187 | 74 | 131 | 127 | 225 | 287 | 908 | 755 | 653 | 666 | 509 | 450 | 407 | 348 | 282 | 307 | 223 | 169 | 132 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:42PM1.79m | 10:32AM1.23m | 10:29PM1.67m | 11:20AM1.25m | 11:15PM1.51m | 12:09PM1.27m | 00:01AM1.34m | 12:59PM1.28m | 00:51AM1.17m | 1:51PM1.29m | 1:47AM1.03m | 2:45PM1.31m | 2:53AM0.93m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:15PM0.24m | 4:28AM-0.02m | 4:07PM0.28m | 5:10AM0.04m | 5:01PM0.35m | 5:51AM0.13m | 5:58PM0.42m | 6:30AM0.22m | 7:01PM0.48m | 7:10AM0.31m | 8:11PM0.53m | 7:53AM0.39m | 9:26PM0.53m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — |
mm | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 11 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 6 | E 7 | S 10 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 6 | 569 | 187 | 74 | 39 | 127 | 50 | 287 | 908 | 755 | 653 | 666 | 509 | 450 | 407 | 348 | 282 | 307 | 223 | 169 | 132 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 18 | E 8 | E 8 | S 9 | S 11 | S 21 | S 10 | S 9 | S 17 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 |
| kJ | 7 | 25 | 12 | 31 | 23 | 55 | 34 | 46 | 24 | 94 | 124 | 160 | 141 | 136 | 85 | 56 | 49 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 26 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 13 | S 18 | S 16 | S 11 | S 21 | S 19 | S 20 | S 18 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 16 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 12 |
| kJ | — | 4 | 25 | 21 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 30 | 60 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 7 | S 6 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | — | — | WSW 2 | — | — |
| kJ | 588 | 37 | 50 | 64 | 131 | 21 | 225 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 165 | 38 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 43 | 43 | 165 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Pelican Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pelican Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pelican Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pelican Beach 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 (Pelican Beach) 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 Pelican Beach 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.
Pelican Beach is 16 km (10 miles) from the city of Catherine Hill Bay. If you plan a holiday in Newcastle, look for hotels and other accommodation in Catherine Hill Bay. Catherine Hill Bay has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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