Rainbow Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is
20.4° C
0.4° 

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 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, E swell with 356 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with S 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 (Aug 07) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Rainbow Bay in the next 16 days are 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Fri 7th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 10s
Best Surf 1PM (Fri 7th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 10s
Most Powerful 4PM (Sun 9th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks. I’m not gonna lie, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and we’ve got a lot of days where it’s just not happening. The first proper chance to get wet isn’t until Tuesday morning, August 4th.

Tuesday morning, the 4th, kicks off with a tiny 3 ft SSE swell, but the wind is glassy from the north. It’s clean, but it’s small. The combined energy is weak (151). Not much to write home about, but it’s surfable. That afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it’s pretty much over.

Wednesday the 5th is a write-off – small bump and cross-onshore wind. Thursday the 6th, Friday the 7th, and Saturday the 8th are all small and clean in the mornings, but the swell is weak and inconsistent. You’ll get a wave, but it’s ordinary.

The best chance in this whole outlook looks to be Sunday morning, August 9th. The swell pushes up to 4 ft from the east, 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 357. The wind is light and cross-off from the SSE, so it’ll be clean. Still, it’s not a standout classic, but it’s the pick of the weak bunch. Tuesday morning the 11th also has a glassy 3 ft east swell, but energy is lower (204), so it’s a second-best option.

After that, we get a run of mostly ordinary conditions. The swell stays small, mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is often cross-off or offshore, so it’s clean but tiny. The afternoon of Wednesday the 12th has a 4 ft SSE swell with a moderate offshore, but the period is short at 7 seconds, so it’s a bit lumpy. Energy is moderate (255).

Thursday the 13th morning is clean and offshore with 3 ft, but again, very small. Friday the 14th morning brings a 2 ft SE swell with a very long period of 14 seconds, and the energy is moderate (366), but it’s so small. That long period might make it a bit tricky at a beach break, but Rainbow Bay is a point, so it could wrap in. Still, 2 ft is tiny.

The rest of the run into the second week – from the 15th to the 19th – is all small, clean, and weak. Nothing over 3 ft, and the energy is consistently in the 150-200 range. It’s a lot of paddling for not much reward.

Honestly, there’s no real standout here. The best on offer is Sunday morning, August 9th, with that 4 ft east swell and clean conditions. If you’re desperate, Tuesday morning the 11th is glassy. But for the most part, it’s a pretty flat and quiet period for Rainbow Bay.

Water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about normal for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Stay patient, mate. It’ll turn around.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

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

Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
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)
0.8
SSE
9
0.7
SSE
8
0.7
ESE
11
1
E
10
0.7
ESE
9
0.6
ESE
8
0.7
NE
7
0.5
E
10
0.4
ESE
9
0.7
ENE
7
0.8
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
8
1.1
E
8
1.3
E
9
1.4
E
10
1.3
E
9
1.2
E
9
1.1
E
9
1
E
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
103
62
117
190
86
57
46
48
27
43
56
89
72
81
153
288
356
282
235
198
164
Wind (km/h)
5
N
15
NNE
10
WNW
10
NW
10
NE
10
WNW
10
S
10
SE
10
SW
10
SSE
15
SE
10
SSW
20
S
20
SSE
10
SSW
10
SSE
15
N
15
NNW
20
NW
15
WNW
10
WSW
Wind State
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
High Tide
11:50AM1.37m
11:52PM1.41m
12:47PM1.40m
00:46AM1.28m
1:54PM1.44m
1:54AM1.16m
3:09PM1.51m
3:16AM1.09m
4:22PM1.62m
4:38AM1.09m
5:27PM1.74m
5:48AM1.14m
6:24PM1.85m
Low Tide
5:47PM0.49m
6:18AM0.31m
6:54PM0.54m
7:10AM0.32m
8:18PM0.56m
8:12AM0.33m
9:49PM0.52m
9:23AM0.31m
11:08PM0.43m
10:32AM0.27m
00:12AM0.33m
11:35AM0.22m
1:05AM0.24m
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:26
6:26
6:24
6:24
6:22
6:22
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:16
5:16
5:17
5:19
5:19
5:20
5:20
 mm
Temp °C
18
18
18
20
19
18
18
17
15
18
17
16
19
18
16
18
18
17
22
23
16
Feels °C
15
15
16
18
17
17
16
15
14
16
15
15
14
14
14
17
16
15
18
19
11
  • 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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