
Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 4,082 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period with ESE 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s. 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 4.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s on the cards for Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks.
First up, I gotta be straight with you: the next few days are a bit of a write-off for a good surf. The swell is there, but it’s messy and the wind is just not cooperating. It’s a real shame because there’s some serious energy in the water.
We kick off on Monday, 20 July, with a big chunky 13 ft swell from the ESE, but it’s got a 10-second period on it. The problem is that howling 22 mph SSE wind is making it a cross-off mess. The wave energy is huge, in the thousands (3004), but it’s not a joy to paddle into. It’s more of a battle. The afternoon improves a little with a 12 ft swell and a fresh offshore wind, but the tide and conditions still feel marginal.
Tuesday, 21 July, the swell drops to 7 ft in the morning, still from the E, and the wind slackens off to a moderate breeze. It’s a cross-off, so it’s clean, but the energy is down to 975. The afternoon sees 6 ft from the E with a gentle breeze, but it’s still not firing.
Wednesday, 22 July, is the first real glimmer of hope. The morning has a 5 ft swell from the E, glassy conditions with zero wind, and the wave energy is a solid 508. It’s clean, but the swell is a bit small for any real punch. The afternoon stays glassy with a 5 ft swell, but it’s very ordinary.
Thursday, 23 July, is tiny and glassy in the morning with 4 ft, and the energy is a weak 193. The afternoon is a bit better with a 3 ft swell and a gentle cross-off, but it’s still not worth paddling out for.
From Friday, 24 July, right through to Tuesday, 28 July, it’s pretty grim. The swell is small, the wind is either onshore or cross-off, and the wave energy is mostly below 300. The best of these is Saturday, 25 July, which has a glassy 3 ft swell in the morning, but it’s just not enough to get excited about.
Now, we get a bit of a rebound on Wednesday, 29 July, but it’s a poor day with onshore winds and tiny waves.
The real standout is shaping up for the end of the month. Thursday, 30 July, sees a 4 ft swell from the S in the morning, with a light cross-off breeze and a wave energy of 418. It’s clean, but it’s the Friday, 31 July afternoon that’s the pick of the whole forecast. The swell is 5 ft from the SE, with a 14-second period, which is a nice long groundswell. The wind is a moderate 12 mph offshore from the SSW, so it’s going to be clean and lined up. The wave energy is a strong 1194. This is a good one for Rainbow Bay’s point setup, as that long period will wrap in nicely.
Then we roll into the start of August. Saturday, 1 August, has a 7 ft swell from the SSE in the morning, with a good offshore wind, and energy of 900. That’s a solid, clean day, but it’s a bit big for beginners. The afternoon stays similar.
Sunday, 2 August, is still surfable, but the wind picks up to a fresh 19 mph, which will make it a bit bumpy.
Monday, 3 August, brings a 6 ft swell from the S with a 11-second period, and the energy is a very strong 1339, but the wind is cross-off, so it’s not as clean as the previous days.
The forecast ends on Tuesday, 4 August, with a 4 ft swell and a gentle breeze, which is pretty ordinary.
So, to wrap it up: the best surf on offer is the Friday, 31 July afternoon, with that 5 ft SE groundswell and clean offshore wind. The second best is the Saturday, 1 August morning, with a 7 ft SSE swell and offshore winds. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so you won’t need a 5mm, but a decent spring suit is fine.
Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because things can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun night, min 17°C on Mon afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Sun night, calm by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
4421 | 2939 | 2267 | 1652 | 942 | 601 | 490 | 464 | 367 | 263 | 173 | 137 | 109 | 83 | 239 | 121 | 151 | 157 | 133 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 11:45PM1.55m | 12:31PM1.33m | 00:22AM1.41m | 1:25PM1.34m | 1:04AM1.28m | 2:27PM1.37m | 1:55AM1.16m | 3:34PM1.43m | 3:01AM1.08m | 4:37PM1.50m | 4:18AM1.05m | 5:32PM1.59m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:18AM0.41m | 6:18PM0.63m | 6:55AM0.45m | 7:21PM0.73m | 7:37AM0.48m | 8:39PM0.79m | 8:25AM0.50m | 10:06PM0.79m | 9:22AM0.50m | 11:21PM0.74m | 10:20AM0.49m | 00:20AM0.66m | |||||||
— | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
93 | 65 | 85 | 105 | 942 | 601 | 490 | 464 | 367 | 263 | 173 | 137 | 109 | 83 | 35 | 29 | 151 | 157 | 133 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | ENE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | — | S 10 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | SSE 10 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 |
— | — | 34 | 48 | 25 | 57 | 33 | 29 | 18 | 18 | 17 | — | 8 | 2 | 16 | 32 | 24 | 54 | 38 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 21 | S 10 | SE 16 | E 9 | S 14 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 9 | SE 8 | — | NE 9 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SE 15 | SE 14 |
— | — | — | — | 8 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 30 | 20 | 57 | 50 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | — | — | — |
4421 | 2939 | 2267 | 1652 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 20 | 47 | 239 | 121 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 324 | 142 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 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.










