
Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Beach surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, E swell with 1,075 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 10s period with E 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pelican Beach in the next 16 days are 2.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 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 1.1m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Pelican Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it’s a pretty grim start. The first few days are a write-off. Wednesday and Thursday have messy, lumpy conditions with onshore winds, and the swell is a mushy, short-period mess. The combined energy is moderate at best, and the quality is just not there. It’s a slow start, and we’re looking at at least a week of poor conditions before anything decent turns up.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday the 20th. The morning is looking clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the ENE. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the east, with a moderate period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (816), and the conditions are described as "clean". It’s not a massive standout, but after the rubbish we’ve had, it’s the best on offer. The afternoon stays clean but the score drops a notch.
Tuesday the 21st morning is also a good call. The wind is offshore from the NNW, light, and the swell is 5 ft from the ENE with the same 10-second period. The energy is a bit lower (480), but with offshore wind and clean conditions, it'll be a fun, manageable size. This is your best bet for a proper session.
Wednesday the 22nd morning is a real treat. The wind goes glassy – that’s as good as it gets. The swell is 4 ft from the ENE. It’s not big, but with glassy conditions, it’ll be clean and lined up. Perfect for a longboard or a fish.
Looking further ahead, the second week gets a bit more interesting. Saturday the 25th afternoon sees a new pulse of 7 ft southerly swell, but it’s cross-on and only a marginal call. Sunday the 26th has a bigger 7 ft south swell (10-second period) with light cross-shore winds, and the energy ramps up to 1015 – that’s moderate energy. It’s a promising one, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep your fingers crossed.
The Monday the 27th morning has a solid 6 ft south swell with a very long 13-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy (1102), and with a light cross-shore breeze, it could be excellent at a point or reef, but at a beach break like Pelican, it might be a bit too straight and powerful. Worth a look for experienced surfers.
After that, the wind swings back onshore from the 28th onwards, and the quality drops off again. The swell sticks around but gets chopped up by moderate winds.
The water temp is sitting at 66°F with a tiny anomaly of 0.7°F, so it’s about average for this time of year. No surprises there.
Crowds at Pelican Beach can be "often" a problem, so get there early for the clean windows. The break is fairly consistent, so when it’s good, it’s worth the paddle.
Best of the outlook: Monday 20th morning, Tuesday 21st morning, and Wednesday 22nd morning (glassy). The Sunday 26th and Monday 27th are promising long-range calls.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Wed morning, light winds from the SSE by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | E 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
671 | 1459 | 593 | 674 | 396 | 131 | 74 | 113 | 167 | 181 | 310 | 784 | 1075 | 918 | 834 | 666 | 596 | 544 | 416 | 416 | 433 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:54PM1.85m | 9:44AM1.21m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:23PM0.23m | 3:43AM-0.06m | 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 | ||||||||
6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 15 | S 15 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | E 7 | S 11 | E 7 | S 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
— | — | 5 | 4 | 396 | 131 | 74 | 113 | 79 | 181 | 46 | 784 | 1075 | 918 | 834 | 666 | 596 | 544 | 416 | 416 | 433 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 18 | S 18 | E 8 | E 8 | S 8 | S 22 | S 10 | S 19 | S 9 | SSE 17 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
— | — | — | 7 | 25 | 12 | 31 | 23 | 9 | 50 | 29 | 24 | 101 | 130 | 121 | 141 | 136 | 85 | 56 | 50 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 13 | S 18 | S 16 | S 11 | — | S 21 | S 15 | SSE 19 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 17 | SE 15 | SE 15 | S 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 |
— | — | — | — | 4 | 57 | 21 | 21 | — | 34 | 4 | 71 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | S 6 | ESE 7 | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | — | S 5 | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | N 3 | — | NE 5 |
671 | 1459 | 593 | 674 | 50 | 64 | 64 | 39 | 167 | 32 | 310 | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | 53 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 132 | 49 | 49 | 172 | 246 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 49 | 65 | 65 | 34 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










