Rainbow Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 14 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is
20.8° C
0.3° 

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 13 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, SE swell with 5,370 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period with SE 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s is also forecast. 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 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) 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 1.3m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Fri 17th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 8s
Best Surf 1AM (Mon 20th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 10s
Most Powerful 4AM (Sun 19th Jul)16ft (5.0m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s coming up for Rainbow Bay.

Right now, the surf is tiny and messy. We’ve got a few days of nothing worthwhile to start with. Tuesday the 14th and Wednesday the 15th are basically flat with poor conditions – not worth paddling out for. The wait is on.

Things start to get interesting from Thursday the 16th, but it’s not for everyone. That morning we’ve got a solid 12ft swell from the SSE, but the period is short at 9 seconds, and with 22 mph offshore winds, it’s going to be big, raw and powerful. The combined energy is strong at 1814. This is expert-only territory. Honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at this size for a beach-and-reef setup.

Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th keep the size in the 8ft to 12ft range, still with strong offshore winds, but the quality is only marginal. It’s big, it’s clean, but it’s not the best shape.

Now, the standout period is from Sunday the 19th through to the middle of the following week. Sunday the 19th morning sees a 15ft swell from the SE, with a period of 11 seconds and very strong combined energy of 4938. That’s a lot of water moving. The winds are offshore, so it’s clean, but this is big, powerful groundswell – only for experienced surfers who know the spot.

The real sweet spot looks like Monday the 20th afternoon through to Thursday the 23rd. Swell drops to a more manageable 8ft to 10ft, period lengthens out to 10–13 seconds, and we’ve got consistent offshore winds from the SSE and S. This is where Rainbow Bay will be at its best. The combined energy is still strong, around 1000 to 1931, but the longer period means better shaped waves with more push. This is a point break, so it’ll handle that long-period groundswell well. The water temperature is about 69°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. Crowds are possible here, so don’t expect it empty.

The absolute standout is Sunday the 26th morning. The wind is glassy, the swell is 8ft from the SE with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a very strong 2802. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – clean, powerful, and with that long-period energy wrapping around the point. If you can get out there, that’s the morning to circle on the calendar.

After that, it fades quickly. Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th see the swell drop below 7ft, winds turn onshore, and conditions become poor. The run ends with weak, choppy surf.

So, the best of the best: Sunday the 26th morning for that glassy, clean, powerful SE groundswell. If you want the most consistent run of good waves, aim for Monday the 20th afternoon through Thursday the 23rd.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds.

Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
2
1
0
2
2
2
1
2
3
4
2
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
S
9
0.2
ESE
10
0.2
ESE
10
0.2
ESE
9
1.9
S
6
3
SSE
8
3.5
SSE
9
3
SSE
8
3
SE
8
2.5
SE
8
2.5
SE
8
2.5
SE
8
3
SE
8
3.5
SE
9
4.5
SE
11
4.5
SE
11
4.5
SE
10
3.5
ESE
10
3
ESE
10
3
ESE
10
2.5
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
14
10
10
9
279
1134
1814
1395
1113
801
734
838
1137
1582
4852
4909
3919
2560
1931
1667
1480
Wind (km/h)
5
W
10
ESE
10
SSW
20
S
30
S
25
SSW
35
S
35
S
30
SSE
30
SSE
30
SSE
25
SSE
30
SSE
35
SSE
35
SSE
35
SSE
35
SSE
25
SSE
30
SSE
25
SSE
20
SSE
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
off
High Tide
8:17PM2.01m
8:40AM1.27m
9:03PM2.00m
9:27AM1.29m
9:47PM1.94m
10:12AM1.30m
10:28PM1.83m
10:57AM1.31m
11:07PM1.70m
11:42AM1.32m
11:45PM1.55m
12:31PM1.33m
00:22AM1.41m
Low Tide
1:31PM0.16m
2:59AM0.20m
2:20PM0.18m
3:43AM0.20m
3:07PM0.23m
4:25AM0.24m
3:53PM0.31m
5:04AM0.30m
4:38PM0.41m
5:41AM0.36m
5:26PM0.52m
6:18AM0.41m
6:18PM0.63m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:06
5:06
5:07
5:07
5:07
5:07
5:08
 mm
4
3
4
2
2
4
2
2
1
2
Temp °C
19
18
16
17
16
14
18
18
18
18
19
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
19
19
16
Feels °C
17
15
14
11
10
9
11
10
11
12
13
12
12
11
12
12
12
12
14
15
13
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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