Rainbow Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 31 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is
20.8° C
0.0° 

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 31 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, SSE swell with 741 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s 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 2.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Sat 1st Aug)5ft (1.5m) 7s
Best Surf 1PM (Sat 1st Aug)5ft (1.6m) 9s
Most Powerful10PM (Sat 1st Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next stretch.

Well, it's a bit of a slow start, but there's some hope on the horizon. For the first couple of days, we're looking at small, clean conditions, but nothing that'll get you out of bed early. The real deal kicks off on Saturday morning, August 1st. Rainbow Bay is your spot. The swell is coming up from the SSE at 5ft, with a 7-second period. It's small, but the offshore wind is keeping it clean, so it's surfable, just very ordinary. The wind is a moderate breeze from the south at 12 mph, which is offshore here, so the line-up will be tidy.

The standout window is Sunday afternoon, August 2nd. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the SSE, with a 9-second period. The combined energy is moderate (465), and a gentle offshore breeze from the SSE at 9 mph will groom it nicely. It's a point break, so it handles the direction well. Expect good surf conditions. The water temp is 69°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Heading into Monday, August 3rd, the morning is looking glassy with a 5ft SE swell at 10-seconds. The wind is dead calm from the SSE, just a slight air, so it'll be glassy perfection. The wave energy is moderate (518). This is a solid call for a clean session. The afternoon turns a bit cross-on, so get out early.

After that, the energy drops off fast. By Tuesday, August 4th, the swell is down to 3ft, and the combined energy is weak (147). It's glassy again in the morning, but the swell is tiny and the direction is all over the place. From Wednesday, August 5th, through to Thursday, August 6th, we're looking at a real flat spell. The swell height drops to 2ft, and the energy readings are in the weak range (99 to 214). It's a bit of a dead run.

There's a flicker of life on Saturday, August 8th. The morning shows a 4ft S swell with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps back to moderate (537). The wind is light cross-off from the SSE, so it'll be clean. It's a reasonable option, but it's not a stand-out compared to the Sunday session.

The rest of the second week is quiet. From Sunday, August 9th, onwards, the swell stays under 3ft, and the energy is consistently weak. The wind is often onshore or cross, so the quality is poor. There's a tiny glassy window on Tuesday, August 11th, with a 2ft SE swell at 11-seconds, but it's just a dribbler. The long period there (11 seconds) is a groundswell, but at that size, it won't have any push.

Honestly, if you can only pick one session, make it Sunday afternoon, August 2nd. The swell is the biggest, the wind is offshore, and the point break setup at Rainbow Bay will handle it well. After that, it's a waiting game for the next pulse.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
2
2
2
1
2
2
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
E
7
1.5
SSE
7
1.4
SSE
7
1.7
SSE
9
1.9
SE
10
1.4
SSE
9
1.3
SSE
9
1.5
SE
10
1.4
SE
10
1.4
SE
10
1.1
SE
10
0.8
SSE
9
0.7
ESE
9
0.7
ESE
8
0.7
E
7
0.7
ESE
10
0.7
E
9
0.8
E
8
0.8
SSE
11
0.9
SSE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
24
189
158
455
681
322
280
424
428
404
230
90
71
58
53
96
76
78
150
157
Wind (km/h)
25
SSE
15
S
20
S
20
SSE
15
SSE
15
SSE
15
SE
5
S
5
SE
10
ENE
10
WNW
5
NNW
15
NNE
10
WNW
0
NW
15
ESE
10
SSW
15
SSE
15
SE
10
S
Wind State
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
High Tide
9:22PM1.78m
9:45AM1.30m
9:55PM1.72m
10:22AM1.33m
10:29PM1.64m
11:03AM1.35m
11:08PM1.54m
11:50AM1.37m
11:52PM1.41m
12:47PM1.40m
00:46AM1.28m
1:54PM1.44m
1:54AM1.16m
Low Tide
3:56AM0.33m
3:26PM0.39m
4:26AM0.32m
4:07PM0.41m
4:58AM0.31m
4:52PM0.44m
5:35AM0.31m
5:47PM0.49m
6:18AM0.31m
6:54PM0.54m
7:10AM0.32m
8:18PM0.56m
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:28
6:28
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:16
5:16
5:17
 mm
2
1
Temp °C
17
17
15
17
17
18
17
16
17
17
16
18
19
17
19
18
16
18
17
16
Feels °C
12
13
11
13
13
15
14
15
15
15
15
16
16
15
16
15
14
15
14
15
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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