Rainbow Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is
20.9°C
0.1° 

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 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SSE swell with 1,575 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s 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 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 7s 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 TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Mon 7th Sep)5.5ft (1.7m) 7s
Best Surf 4AM (Wed 9th Sep)8ft (2.4m) 10s
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 folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off, but hang tight – we’ve got some proper fun waves coming through from Monday the 7th on. The water temp is sittin’ right on 70°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so you won’t need a full winter suit.

Right off the bat, today (Sunday the 6th) is a total dud. Tiny 1ft SSE swell and a nasty cross-on breeze – not worth paddling out for. You’re better off waxing your board and waiting.

Monday the 7th is where things start to get interesting. The morning sees a solid 6ft S swell pumping in, with a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy is moderate (917), so there’s some push behind it. That 8-second period is a bit short, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but it’s clean and surfable. The afternoon drops a little to 6ft from the SSE but stays clean. This is easily the best day of the first week – a proper standout.

Tuesday the 8th is a mixed bag. Early morning we’ve got 4ft S swell and offshore winds – clean, but the energy is only moderate (207). It’s surfable but ordinary. The afternoon kicks up to 6ft from the SSE, still offshore, but the period drops to 7 seconds, making it a bit of a messy, short-period wall. Still worth a paddle if you’re keen.

Wednesday the 9th is a gem of a morning: 6ft from the SSE with barely a breath of wind (ESE 5 km/h). The combined energy is strong (589) and the 9-second period is decent. Those early glassy conditions will be magic. The afternoon turns into a cross-on mess, so get out early.

Thursday the 10th is for the experienced crew only. Solid 10ft from the SSE with a fresh offshore wind – clean, but that’s big for Rainbow Bay. The combined energy is very strong (1320 and 1374). This is a proper expert-only session. If you’re not comfortable in overhead, heavy surf, sit this one out.

Friday the 11th is a nice follow-up: 7ft SSE swell, moderate offshore wind in the morning, clean, and with a combined energy of 742. The period is 8 seconds, so it’s a short-period groundswell, but it’s clean and fun. The afternoon gets a cross-off breeze, but it’s still clean.

Saturday the 12th is another solid morning: 8ft from the SSE, fresh offshore wind, and clean. The energy is moderate (522) but the short period (7 seconds) means it’ll be a bit quick. The afternoon gets a cross-off breeze, but it’s still clean.

Sunday the 13th is a smaller, cleaner day: 5ft SSE swell, barely any wind, and a combined energy of 679. The 9-second period is decent. This is a good, mellow session for everyone.

After that, the surf drops off hard. From Monday the 14th all the way through the end of the 16-day window, it’s a long stretch of tiny, weak, or onshore junk. You’ll get a few 3ft days with clean offshore wind, but the energy is low (less than 200) and the period is short. It’s a blank run for quality waves. The only exception might be Wednesday the 16th morning with 5ft SSE swell and light wind, but the energy is weak (310) and the period is only 7 seconds – it’s surfable but ordinary.

So here’s the bottom line: Monday the 7th morning is your standout for the whole period. If you can only get one session, make it that one. Wednesday the 9th morning is a close second, with those glassy conditions. The rest of the first week is solid, but the second week is a long, quiet gap. Don’t get your hopes up for the second week – it’s a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu morning).

Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
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
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
0
1
2
2
3
2
0
2
2
0
2
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
E
10
0.3
E
10
1.7
SSE
7
1.9
S
8
1.7
SSE
10
1.1
SSE
9
1.1
S
8
1.9
SSE
7
2.2
SSE
9
1.8
SSE
9
1.7
SSE
10
1.3
SSE
9
3
SSE
8
3
SSE
9
2.4
SSE
9
2
SSE
8
2
SSE
8
1.7
SSE
10
2.3
SSE
7
2.2
SSE
8
2
SSE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
17
17
286
517
518
211
173
332
770
573
506
312
1302
1356
950
512
475
506
498
612
616
Wind (km/h)
20
NNW
10
SE
20
S
15
SSE
15
ESE
10
S
20
SSE
25
S
15
S
5
ESE
15
NE
15
S
30
S
30
SSE
20
S
20
S
25
SE
15
SSW
20
SSE
25
SSE
10
SSW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-on
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
High Tide
4:06PM1.62m
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
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:54
5:54
5:52
5:50
5:50
5:48
5:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:34
5:34
5:34
5:35
5:35
5:36
5:36
 mm
1
1
1
3
1
Temp °C
30
24
18
20
20
18
19
18
17
18
18
18
19
18
17
19
19
17
20
19
17
Feels °C
27
23
14
18
18
17
15
14
14
17
16
17
13
12
13
15
15
15
15
14
15
  • 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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