Rainbow Bay 48 hour detailed Surf Forecast

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Issued: 3 am 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in hr min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is

20.9° C

Rainbow Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.

Surf Forecasts:

How big are the waves at Rainbow Bay today (20 Jul):

Morning surf: Morning surf (20 Jul, local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period with ESE swell.
Afternoon surf: Afternoon surf (20 Jul, local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period with ESE swell.
Evening surf: Evening surf (20 Jul, local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period with ESE swell.

The current surf forecast for Rainbow Bay at 11AM is: 3.5m 10s primary swell from a East-southeast direction and 0.4m 14s secondary swell from a South direction (forecast issued at 03:00am July 20). The wind direction is predicted to be cross-offshore.

Time (AEST) & Date	Wave Height	Wave Period
Morning (20 Jul)	13ft (4.0m)	10s
Afternoon (20 Jul)	11ft (3.5m)	10s
Evening (20 Jul)	10ft (3.0m)	10s

Table - waves today at Rainbow Bay. (Swell directed towards the surf break)

	Short Range Forecast Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Mon morning, calm by Wed morning).
	Monday 20								Tuesday 21								Wednesday 22
	1 AM	4 AM	7 AM	10 AM	1 PM	4 PM	7 PM	10 PM	1 AM	4 AM	7 AM	10 AM	1 PM	4 PM	7 PM	10 PM	1 AM	4 AM	7 AM	10 AM	1 PM	4 PM	7 PM	10 PM
Rating (10 max)	1	2	2	2	2	3	2	1	2	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	0	1	0
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SE 10	ESE 11	ESE 11	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 9	E 9	E 9	E 10	E 9	E 10	E 10	ENE 10	E 9	E 9	E 9
Wave Graph
kJ	4535	4082	3494	2997	2679	2250	2020	1846	1691	1351	1201	959	860	626	541	430	440	561	544	474	248	359	351	299
Wind (km/h)	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SE	ESE	SE	SSE	SSE	NE	NE	N	NW
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	off	glassy	cross-on	cross-on	glassy	cross-on
High Tide	11:45PM1.55m				12:31PM1.33m				00:22AM1.41m					1:25PM1.34m				1:04AM1.28m				2:27PM1.37m
Low Tide			6:18AM0.41m				6:18PM0.63m				6:55AM0.45m					7:21PM0.73m				7:37AM0.48m				8:39PM0.79m


	—	6:33	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6:33	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6:33	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	5:08	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:08	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:09	—	—
mm	1	—	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	1	1	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Temp °C	18	19	18	18	18	18	17	18	18	17	17	19	18	17	17	17	18	17	17	17	19	19	18	17
Feels °C	12	13	13	12	12	13	12	13	15	13	14	16	16	16	16	16	17	17	17	17	18	18	17	16
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	S 17	S 16	S 16	S 14	S 14	S 13	S 13	S 13	S 12	S 12	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 9	E 9	E 9	E 10	E 9	E 10	E 10	ENE 10	E 9	E 9	E 9
kJ	93	85	75	65	57	85	84	80	73	72	1201	959	860	626	541	430	440	561	544	474	248	359	351	299
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	—	—	—	—	S 13	SSE 13	—	—	—	S 16	S 16	SSE 11	SSE 11	ENE 10	ENE 10	ENE 10	ESE 9	SSE 10	SSE 10	SSE 9	ESE 8	SSE 10	SSE 10	SSE 10
kJ	—	—	—	—	88	34	—	—	—	5	5	23	40	57	58	137	161	32	31	29	154	18	18	18
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	S 16	ENE 10	S 21	S 10	S 10	SSE 10	SSE 10	S 11	E 9	E 9	SSE 9	S 14	S 14	—
kJ	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5	57	9	17	16	35	33	55	26	26	29	4	4	—
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SE 10	ESE 11	ESE 11	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	ESE 10	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
kJ	4535	4082	3494	2997	2679	2250	2020	1846	1691	1351	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Nearest Offshore or Glassy	Hat Head NSW - Port Macquarie	Scotts Head NSW - Port Macquarie	Turners Beach NSW - North Coast	Turners Beach NSW - North Coast	Turners Beach NSW - North Coast	Wategos NSW - North Coast	The Pass NSW - North Coast	Greenmount QLD - Gold Coast	Snapper Rocks QLD - Gold Coast	Snapper Rocks QLD - Gold Coast	Snapper Rocks QLD - Gold Coast	Snapper Rocks QLD - Gold Coast	Snapper Rocks QLD - Gold Coast	Rainbow Bay QLD - Gold Coast	Rainbow Bay QLD - Gold Coast	Rainbow Bay QLD - Gold Coast	Rainbow Bay QLD - Gold Coast	Rainbow Bay QLD - Gold Coast	Rainbow Bay QLD - Gold Coast	Rainbow Bay QLD - Gold Coast	Mermaid Beach QLD - Gold Coast	Tallows Beach NSW - North Coast	Rainbow Bay QLD - Gold Coast	Duranbah QLD - Gold Coast
Rating (10 max)	4	4	4	4	3	4	4	2	4	4	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	2
Distance (km)	324	279	142	142	142	53	53	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	54	0	1
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast								Greenmount	Snapper Rocks	Snapper Rocks	Snapper Rocks	Snapper Rocks	Snapper Rocks	Snapper Rocks	Burleigh Heads	Currumbin Point	Currumbin Point	Currumbin Point	Burleigh Heads	Tallebudgera	Akkorokamui	North Stradbroke-Cylinders	Akkorokamui	Akkorokamui
Rating (10 max)								2	4	4	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia	Luna Park VIC - Far West	Cyclops WA - Far South	Cyclops WA - Far South	Cyclops WA - Far South	Cyclops WA - Far South	Cyclops WA - Far South	Cyclops WA - Far South	Cyclops WA - Far South	Ethel Wreck SA - Yorke Peninsula	Ethel Wreck SA - Yorke Peninsula	Luna Park VIC - Far West	Luna Park VIC - Far West	Point Lonsdale VIC - Torquay	Point Lonsdale VIC - Torquay	Luna Park VIC - Far West	Luna Park VIC - Far West	Black Rock NSW - North Coast	Black Rock NSW - North Coast	Black Rock NSW - North Coast	Black Rock NSW - North Coast	Depot Beach NSW - South Coast	Boneyard NSW - Illawarra	Bancoora VIC - Torquay	Bancoora VIC - Torquay
Rating (10 max)	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	4	5
Header Global	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Otago Peninsula - Allans Beach New Zealand	Otago Peninsula - Allans Beach New Zealand	Otago Peninsula - Allans Beach New Zealand	Ning Nong Point and Reef New Zealand	Ning Nong Point and Reef New Zealand	Ning Nong Point and Reef New Zealand	Last Chance New Zealand	Seconds (White Rock) New Zealand	Diners Beach New Zealand	Asu Indonesia	Papatowai New Zealand	Asu Indonesia	Aganoa Beach Samoa	Aganoa Beach Samoa	Bruces Beauties South Africa	Van Stadens Mouth South Africa	Cobblestones Australia	Cobblestones Australia	Cobblestones Australia	Cobblestones Australia	Injidup Carpark Australia	Bancoora Australia
Rating (10 max)	7	7	6	5	5	7	6	5	5	5	5	4	5	4	4	4	4	5	5	5	7	6	5	5

Map Icons:
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Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

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Ben Mondy

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Rainbow Bay 48 hour detailed Surf Forecast

How big are the waves at Rainbow Bay today (20 Jul):

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