Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, SSE swell with 610 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period with ENE 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rainbow Bay in the next 16 days are 1.7m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 4AM. 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the next couple of weeks.
We’re in for a bit of a frustrating stretch here at Rainbow Bay. The first few days are a write-off, with poor conditions and choppy onshore winds making things messy. That westerly wind change we get on the 27th will clean things up a bit, but the swell will be small and weak. It’s not until the end of the month that things start to get interesting.
The true standout arrives on Sunday the 30th of August and carries into Monday the 31st. We’ve got a clean 5.2ft swell out of the SSE with a solid 10-second period, making for some proper, lined-up waves. The offshore winds from the SSE will keep the faces glassy, and the wave energy is really pumping with a moderate to strong reading of 562. This is your window. The 30th is the pick of the bunch, with that light offshore breeze all day. The 31st morning is also clean, but the afternoon sees a shift to a cross-offshore wind, which is still good but not quite as perfect. The water temp is sitting at 69.3°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so you can leave the steamer at home.
After that little burst of quality, the surf fades again through the first week of September. The first half of the week is blown out with northerly winds, with the swell dropping to barely a ripple by the 5th and 6th. We get a brief, interesting moment on the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September, with a tiny 2.3ft swell but the wind goes glassy. It's small, but if you’ve got a log, that could be a fun little session. By the 9th, a solid, clean cross-offshore wind arrives from the SSW, but the swell is too small to get excited about.
Overall, the best and really only true standout is the weekend of the 30th and 31st of August. The rest of the fortnight is mostly about waiting.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | E 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 157 | 170 | 158 | 178 | 134 | 103 | 116 | 176 | 154 | 177 | 135 | 209 | 314 | 155 | 482 | 491 | 59 | 405 | 371 | 286 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:33PM1.69m | 6:54AM1.21m | 7:10PM1.74m | 7:31AM1.29m | 7:45PM1.76m | 8:06AM1.36m | 8:18PM1.75m | 8:40AM1.41m | 8:51PM1.71m | 9:14AM1.45m | 9:25PM1.63m | 9:51AM1.48m | 10:01PM1.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:12AM0.43m | 12:34PM0.41m | 1:44AM0.36m | 1:15PM0.36m | 2:14AM0.30m | 1:53PM0.32m | 2:43AM0.27m | 2:31PM0.29m | 3:13AM0.24m | 3:10PM0.29m | 3:43AM0.23m | 3:52PM0.31m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | | |  | | |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | |
 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | S 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | E 9 | SSE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 17 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 157 | 170 | 158 | 7 | 134 | 103 | 116 | 176 | 154 | 177 | 135 | 209 | 73 | 155 | 56 | 63 | 59 | 39 | 188 | 286 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 16 | NE 13 | N 6 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | NE 10 | E 9 | NE 10 | NE 15 | NE 13 | SE 18 | E 9 | E 11 |
| kJ | 28 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 2 | — | 105 | 55 | 48 | 66 | 73 | 4 | 54 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 87 | 39 | 83 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | SE 16 | SE 16 | NE 14 | S 16 | S 11 | S 16 | SE 16 | NE 8 | NE 7 | SE 11 | NE 7 | — | NE 10 | E 15 | — | S 21 | NE 13 | NE 13 | SE 16 |
| kJ | 1 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 59 | 2 | — | 4 | 4 | — | 8 | 7 | 6 | 64 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | N 4 | NNW 5 | ENE 7 | SSW 3 | S 5 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | E 5 |
| kJ | 10 | 21 | 34 | 178 | 6 | 64 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | 314 | 132 | 482 | 491 | 166 | 405 | 371 | 54 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 183 | 12 | 1 | 142 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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