
Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SSE swell with 2,019 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rainbow Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’ve got the outlook for Rainbow Bay.
We’re looking at a solid run of surf ahead, starting Monday September 7th and rolling through the first week. The best of the best? Wednesday morning September 9th and Friday morning September 11th are the true standouts.
The first call is Monday morning, September 7th. We’ve got a clean 5ft SSE swell with a period of 8 seconds, cross-off wind from the SSE at 9 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 400. It’s a good start to the week and the water temp is about average for the time of year. Crowds are often here, so expect company.
Tuesday the 8th drops a bit in size but the wind goes offshore from the S at 12 mph in the morning, cleaning up a 4ft S swell. Period is short at 9 seconds, but the combined energy is 265. Tuesday afternoon picks up to 7ft S with a shorter 7-second period (energy 412), still offshore but windier at 16 mph. It’s surfable but ordinary.
Wednesday morning September 9th is where it’s at. Glassy conditions – wind from the ESE at just 3 mph – with a 6ft SSE swell, 9-second period, and combined energy of 480. That’s clean, fun, and the best of the first half of the week. Wednesday afternoon turns cross-on and choppy, so get it early.
Thursday the 10th brings a jump in size. 12ft SSE swell both morning and afternoon, with strong offshore winds from the S and SSE at 19-22 mph. Combined energy is 1714 and 1996 – that’s strong. This is big, powerful stuff. Over 8ft, so this is only for experienced surfers. The period is 9 seconds, so it’s not super long period, but the energy is real. Offshore wind should keep it clean but hold on.
Friday morning September 11th is another standout. 8ft SSE swell, 9-second period, combined energy 993, and a gentle offshore breeze from the S at 9 mph. That’s clean, solid, and good for the experienced crew. Friday afternoon stays clean with 8ft and 803 energy.
Saturday the 12th is still solid with 7ft SE swell, offshore wind from the S at 9-12 mph, and clean conditions. Combined energy around 505-559. Good, but not quite the top tier.
Sunday the 13th drops back to 5ft SSE in the morning with cross-off wind – clean but smaller. Afternoon turns poor.
From Monday September 14th through Tuesday the 15th, it goes flat and weak. Swell drops below 3ft, combined energy below 200, and the wind turns onshore or cross. Nothing worth paddling out for.
Wednesday the 16th sees a tiny bump – 5ft SE swell with 6-second period, energy 271, and light cross-off wind. Surfable but very ordinary. Thursday the 17th is glassy in the morning but only 2ft – too small. That stretch from the 14th to the 20th is mostly a bust, with weak, small waves and poor wind.
Into the second week, Friday September 18th through Sunday the 20th looks poor. Onshore winds from N, small swell, and combined energy staying under 300. Not worth getting wet for.
Monday September 21st brings a late pulse: 4ft SSE swell with fresh offshore wind from the S at 22 mph, energy 286. Clean but small. Tuesday the 22nd fades to 2ft with energy down to 91. The run is over.
So, to sum it up: hit Wednesday morning September 9th for glassy clean fun, and Friday morning September 11th for a proper solid, clean session. The rest of the first week is decent, but those two are the ones to circle. After that, a long flat spell until the very end, which is too small to get excited about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
305 | 385 | 461 | 227 | 225 | 388 | 697 | 464 | 368 | 268 | 1678 | 1981 | 1226 | 905 | 790 | 606 | 476 | 530 | 586 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:37AM1.09m | 5:11PM1.72m | 5:40AM1.20m | 6:05PM1.80m | 6:31AM1.32m | 6:53PM1.84m | 7:16AM1.42m | 7:36PM1.83m | 7:57AM1.50m | 8:16PM1.77m | 8:36AM1.55m | 8:52PM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:58PM0.39m | 10:22AM0.33m | 11:54PM0.29m | 11:26AM0.26m | 00:41AM0.22m | 12:20PM0.20m | 1:21AM0.18m | 1:09PM0.16m | 1:59AM0.17m | 1:54PM0.17m | 2:33AM0.19m | 2:37PM0.22m | 3:04AM0.23m | ||||||
— | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 6 | SSE 8 | NE 6 | SSE 9 | NE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 15 | E 14 | SSE 23 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 |
40 | 385 | 8 | 227 | 24 | 8 | 16 | 464 | 368 | 268 | 4 | 4 | 50 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | NNE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | NNE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 12 | S 19 | S 23 | E 15 | S 21 | S 22 | NE 15 | E 12 | S 19 | NE 14 |
17 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 69 | 28 | 11 | 4 | 80 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | NE 6 | NE 9 | — | — | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 9 | E 15 | — | — | E 13 | N 16 | S 21 | NE 16 | NE 15 | NE 14 |
— | 15 | 5 | 12 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 13 | 4 | — | — | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | — | SSE 10 | — | S 9 | S 7 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 9 |
305 | — | 461 | — | 225 | 388 | 697 | — | — | — | 1678 | 1981 | 1226 | 905 | 790 | 606 | 476 | 530 | 586 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 251 | 142 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










