Rainbow Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 10 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is
21.1° 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 10 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, S swell with 6,662 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s 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 10) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 13s. 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 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Fri 10th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 10s
Best Surf 1PM (Fri 10th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 10s
Most Powerful10AM (Fri 17th Jul)16ft (5.0m) 12s

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


Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Rainbow Bay's got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks. The pattern shows a bit of a slow start before a proper pulse of energy rolls in, and that second week looks like it'll be the main event if you've got the skills for it.

We kick off on Friday, the 10th of July, with a solid start. The water temp is sitting at 21°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. We’ve got a clean 6ft swell rolling in from the southeast, with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 933 (moderate). The wind is offshore and light, making for clean lines right from the get-go. This is a good, fun wave for the weekend crowd, but keep in mind that Rainbow Bay can get busy, so expect company in the water.

Saturday morning, the 11th of July, is even better. The swell drops a touch to 5ft from the southeast, but the real story is the glassy conditions – dead calm wind. That’s a major positive, giving you a slick, clean surface for those point-break runners.

Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th see the surf drop off. The swell gets smaller and the wind turns cross-onshore, making things choppy and ordinary. Not worth rushing for.

We then hit a bit of a lull from the afternoon of the 13th right through the 15th of July. There’s very little energy in the water, with combined swell energy dropping into double digits – weak stuff for a few sessions there.

Then things get serious. The real standout period starts on Thursday the 16th of July. The wind goes fresh and offshore, but the swell is already pumping: 10ft from the south with a combined energy of 1503 (strong). This is big, powerful surf. By Friday the 17th of July, it really fires up. We’re looking at a whopping 16ft southerly swell with a long period of 12 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 10370 (very strong). This is heavy, expert-only territory. The conditions are clean but that’s raw power – definitely not a beginner’s game.

That big, powerful swell holds through Saturday and Sunday the 18th and 19th of July, with waves still in the 10ft to 12ft range, clean and offshore. This is the pick of the entire run for experienced surfers: powerful, clean, and consistent.

After that, the swell fades through the 20th to the 25th of July. We get some glassy mornings and cleaner windows on the 24th with a 4ft SE swell, but it’s nothing compared to that big pulse earlier in the week.

So for the best on offer, don’t bother with the first few days unless you want a casual cruise. The true standout is that window from Thursday the 16th through Sunday the 19th of July – big, solid, clean surf for those who can handle it. The Saturday morning of the 18th of July with an 12ft SSE swell and moderate offshore wind is about as good as it gets at this break.

Stay safe out there.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the S by Wed night).

Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
2
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
2
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
SE
10
1.9
SE
10
1.7
SE
11
1.4
SE
10
1.1
ESE
12
1.3
ESE
11
1.1
SE
10
0.9
ESE
10
0.7
SE
10
0.6
ESE
9
0.6
S
7
0.6
S
8
0.4
S
9
0.4
SE
7
0.7
S
7
0.8
S
7
0.3
S
7
2.5
S
8
3
S
9
3.5
SSE
9
4.5
S
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
725
769
652
384
341
389
253
175
98
55
40
45
25
14
48
70
10
887
1497
1767
4103
Wind (km/h)
20
S
20
S
10
SSW
0
WSW
10
NNE
15
NW
20
WNW
15
NW
10
WSW
5
SSE
10
NE
10
W
5
WSW
15
E
10
SSW
15
S
30
S
30
SSW
40
S
35
S
35
S
Wind State
off
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
High Tide
4:41PM1.63m
4:46AM1.19m
5:41PM1.76m
5:54AM1.19m
6:37PM1.88m
6:55AM1.21m
7:29PM1.97m
7:49AM1.24m
8:17PM2.01m
8:40AM1.27m
9:03PM2.00m
9:27AM1.29m
9:47PM1.94m
Low Tide
11:14PM0.48m
10:49AM0.25m
00:20AM0.38m
11:46AM0.21m
1:18AM0.29m
12:40PM0.17m
2:10AM0.22m
1:31PM0.16m
2:59AM0.20m
2:20PM0.18m
3:43AM0.20m
3:07PM0.23m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:37
6:37
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:04
5:05
5:05
5:05
5:06
5:06
5:07
 mm
1
2
1
Temp °C
17
17
16
17
17
17
21
22
17
17
17
17
20
17
16
17
16
14
16
16
16
Feels °C
13
14
14
15
15
14
17
19
14
15
15
15
18
14
14
11
10
6
7
9
9
  • 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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