Rainbow Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 02 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is
20.4° C
0.4° 

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


Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, SE swell with 503 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period with SSE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rainbow Bay this week:

The surf forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Rainbow Bay in the next 16 days are 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Sun 2nd Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 10s
Best Surf10PM (Sun 2nd Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 10s
Most Powerful10AM (Mon 3rd Aug)5ft (1.6m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been digging through the numbers for Rainbow Bay. Let’s cut to the chase: this isn’t a stretch for big scores. The swell energy is moderate, starting at 562, and the water temp is 69°F, which is just a hair below the long-term average for this time of year – nothing to write home about.

The real window, and I mean the only one that’s worth setting the alarm for, is Sunday afternoon, August 2nd, through Monday morning, August 3rd. Sunday afternoon sees a clean 5ft swell from the SSE, with a light cross-off breeze from the SE at 6 mph, and energy reading 562. It’s a solid little point break wave. But Monday morning is the gem – glassy conditions, a 5ft swell from the SE, a 10-second period, and energy at 572. The wind is a whisper from the SSE at 3 mph, offshore. For a beginner-friendly point like Rainbow Bay, that’s clean, lined-up, and as good as it gets in this run.

After that, it’s a tough slog. From Tuesday afternoon through the rest of the first week, the swell drops below 3ft, periods get short, and energy plummets into the low 100s. The wind is often onshore or cross-on, making it messy. There are a few windows with offshore or glassy conditions, like Wednesday morning August 5th with a 3ft E swell and glassy conditions, but the energy is only 200 – it’s surfable, but ordinary. And Rainbow Bay often gets crowded, so for a small, grovelly wave, it’s probably not worth it.

Into the second week, the pattern stays flat. There’s a tiny pulse to 4ft on Wednesday morning August 12th, but it’s short period and energy is still moderate at 214. The last few days see a long-period groundswell creep in – Monday morning August 17th has a 2ft swell from the SSE with a 14-second period and energy of 324, and then Monday afternoon bumps to 2ft with a 17-second period and energy of 486. For a point break, that long period could produce some nice runners, but it’s small. The wind is offshore or cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but it’s a marginal call.

Plain and simple: if you’re surfing this week, make it Monday morning, August 3rd. Everything else is a gamble on a small, weak, or blown-out wave.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sun
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SSE
9
1.4
SSE
10
1.6
SE
10
1.4
SE
10
1.1
SE
10
0.8
SSE
9
0.7
SSE
8
0.7
ESE
11
1
E
10
1
E
9
0.7
ENE
7
0.6
ESE
8
0.7
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
6
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.8
E
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
327
363
503
370
230
103
62
117
190
157
57
54
47
50
73
84
82
85
79
84
Wind (km/h)
10
SE
5
SSW
5
SSE
5
ENE
10
WNW
10
NNW
15
N
10
NW
0
E
10
ENE
10
SW
10
S
10
SE
5
SSW
10
SSE
15
ESE
5
SSW
15
SSE
15
SE
0
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
glassy
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
glassy
High Tide
10:29PM1.64m
11:03AM1.35m
11:08PM1.54m
11:50AM1.37m
11:52PM1.41m
12:47PM1.40m
00:46AM1.28m
1:54PM1.44m
1:54AM1.16m
3:09PM1.51m
3:16AM1.09m
4:22PM1.62m
Low Tide
4:07PM0.41m
4:58AM0.31m
4:52PM0.44m
5:35AM0.31m
5:47PM0.49m
6:18AM0.31m
6:54PM0.54m
7:10AM0.32m
8:18PM0.56m
8:12AM0.33m
9:49PM0.52m
9:23AM0.31m
11:08PM0.43m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:24
6:24
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:15
5:16
5:16
5:17
5:19
5:19
 mm
Temp °C
18
16
18
18
17
18
18
18
18
18
17
18
18
17
18
18
16
18
18
17
Feels °C
16
15
17
17
16
15
16
16
16
17
17
16
16
18
16
16
16
16
16
17
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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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Information about the Rainbow Bay Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Rainbow Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rainbow Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rainbow Bay 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 (Rainbow Bay) 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 Rainbow Bay 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.

Rainbow Bay is 6 km (4 miles) from Banora Point. If you plan a holiday in Gold Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Banora Point. Banora Point has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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