Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, SSE swell with 370 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. 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 1.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve had a good long look at what Rainbow Bay is offering up over the next couple of weeks. Gotta say, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and there’s not a whole lot to really get the blood pumping. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is bang on average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.
The outlook starts off pretty average, but there’s a small window of hope. Right from Monday morning, 24 August, we’ve got some surf with a clean 3-foot swell pushing in from the ENE, riding on an 8-second period. The combined energy is moderate (162), and with a light SSE cross-off breeze, it’s surfable. It’s small, but clean. That pattern hangs in there for Monday and into Tuesday morning, but Tuesday afternoon the wind swings onshore and gets stronger, making things messy with a score of zero. Things turn pretty ordinary from Wednesday through to the end of the month – mostly small, onshore winds, or cross-off breezes that just don’t line up. For a point break that’s sheltered and works best on a SE swell, the mix of small ENE swells and poor wind windows means it’s mostly flat or blown out.
Now, Saturday morning, 30 August, we see a jump in size to 6-foot from the SE, but the period drops to a weak 6 seconds – that’s short-period slop. The energy is moderate (309), but it’s just not a good wave. The poor conditions report tells the story. It’s not until Sunday, 31 August that we get a consistent 4-foot morning with a gentle offshore SSE breeze, and that’s a surfable window, but nothing special.
The real standout is Tuesday, 01 September. That morning delivers the best combination of the whole outlook: 6-foot of ENE swell, an 8-second period, and a light SE cross-off breeze. The combined energy jumps to a solid moderate (394), and it’s clean. This is the pick of the bunch – still not a massive groundswell, but the size is there and the wind is good. You could have a decent session. The afternoon sees the wind shift cross-shore and the quality dips, but that morning window is worth a look.
Following that, Wednesday morning, 02 September is another highlight. The swell drops a touch to 5-foot from the ENE, but the wind goes glassy – dead calm. That’s a major positive. For a point break like Rainbow Bay, glassy conditions mean clean, peeling lines. The energy is still strong (368). This is the other true standout window.
From Thursday, 03 September, onwards, it tails off fast. The swell backs down under 4-foot, the wind mostly goes onshore or cross-shore, and the conditions are rated as poor right through to the end of the 16-day window on 08 September. There’s a long gap of about five days with nothing worth paddling out for. The last day, 08 September, has a tiny 1-foot morning with glassy conditions, but it’s barely a ripple.
So, if you’re keen, pencil in the morning of Tuesday, 01 September and Wednesday morning, 02 September. That’s your best chance for clean, chest-to-head-high waves with friendly winds. The rest of the run is for the beach, not the board.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 17°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
105 | 128 | 146 | 157 | 142 | 97 | 83 | 77 | 68 | 105 | 95 | 127 | 90 | 124 | 50 | 51 | 57 | 79 | 308 | 232 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 5:52PM1.62m | 6:12AM1.13m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:38AM0.52m | 11:49AM0.47m | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 9 |
105 | 128 | 146 | 157 | 142 | 97 | 83 | 77 | 68 | 105 | 95 | 127 | 90 | 124 | 50 | 51 | 57 | 79 | 130 | 232 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 9 | NE 10 | SSE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | NNE 6 | NE 7 | NE 10 | SSE 10 | N 12 | E 9 |
49 | 77 | 47 | 28 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 29 | 46 | 84 | 73 | 63 | 68 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 74 | 3 | 127 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | S 17 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | SE 16 | NE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | NNE 10 | S 16 | S 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | N 10 | N 15 | NE 13 |
33 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 72 | 28 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | SW 3 | S 5 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 9 | — |
— | — | — | 9 | 22 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 61 | 80 | — | — | — | — | 133 | 134 | 166 | 172 | 308 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 493 | 12 | 1 | 142 | 6 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 7 | 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.











