
Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, E swell with 270 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. 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 1.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at the next couple of weeks for Rainbow Bay.
Alright, look, the first week is a bit of a write-off for decent waves. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf from Thursday the 6th through to Wednesday the 12th. Swell energy is mostly below 350, and the wind is all over the shop, often onshore or cross-shore. It’s enough to maybe get a splash on a log, but you won’t be missing much if you give the water a miss. The ocean just doesn’t have any of that good energy you’re after.
The real story starts to kick off on Thursday the 13th. That afternoon, the wind swings offshore from the south and we see a sudden jump in swell to 10 ft from the south, but it’s a short period 8 second chop. It’s still a bit messy. But then Friday the 14th dawns with a proper change. We’re looking at a solid 12 ft south-southeast swell, and the wind is howling out of the south at 25 km/h, right offshore. That’s clean, powerful surf. The combined energy is a massive 1877, and it locks in through the afternoon with more of the same. This is where it starts to get interesting, but that size is now pushing into the big stuff – this is not beginner territory.
The standout, without a doubt, is the weekend. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th of August are where this forecast fires. On Saturday, we’ve got a 10 ft swell from the east-southeast with a 11 second period, so it’s got some proper groundswell heft in the water. The wind is steady offshore from the south at 20 km/h. The combined energy is a whopper at 3550 (moderate offshore and clean). That is a gorgeous, powerful line. Because Rainbow Bay is a sheltered point, this long period southeast swell will wrap around and hold up beautifully. Just be aware, with that size and the offshore winds, it’s going to be a magnet for the usual suspects. Crowds are often an issue here, so you’ll want to be on it early.
Sunday the 16th is arguably even better. Swell size holds at 12 ft, from the southeast, and the period stretches out to a beautiful 12 seconds. The wind is still solid offshore from the south at 25 km/h. The energy reading is 3872. This is expert-level surf, clean, powerful, and lined up. The water temperature feels about average for the time of year, so a spring suit is fine.
Monday the 17th keeps the run going with a 12 ft south-southeast swell and 11 second period. The wind is offshore again at 20 km/h, and the energy spikes to a massive 4758. This is the peak of the swell – very strong wave energy. It’s still epic, but the wind looks to swing cross-offshore in the afternoon, so the morning session is the pick. Tuesday the 18th sees the swell back down to 8 ft with a 10 second period, but the wind is offshore again, so there’s still plenty of fun to be had for strong surfers. The rest of the week drops off in size but holds some clean, cross-offshore conditions, perfect for a good longboard or a step-down board.
Honestly, the jewel in the crown is the Saturday the 15th through Monday the 17th. That’s the one to circle. Big, clean, offshore groundswell at a point break. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Sun night, calm by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | N 5 | E 9 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
41 | 33 | 35 | 54 | 59 | 89 | 78 | 181 | 270 | 235 | 198 | 157 | 127 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 113 | 113 | 124 | 85 | 67 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | on | on | on | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 6:46AM1.21m | 7:14PM1.92m | 7:36AM1.29m | 8:00PM1.95m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:31PM0.17m | 1:51AM0.18m | 1:22PM0.14m | 2:34AM0.16m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 20 |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | N 6 | NNW 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | N 7 |
41 | 30 | 35 | 54 | 59 | 89 | 78 | 181 | 270 | 235 | 198 | 157 | 144 | 52 | 108 | 113 | 113 | 113 | 87 | 85 | 79 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | S 8 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | E 10 |
34 | 33 | 26 | 33 | 54 | 54 | 52 | 45 | 36 | 50 | 35 | 5 | 127 | 103 | 19 | 21 | 14 | 47 | 50 | 31 | 67 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 15 | ESE 9 | NE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 7 | S 8 | NE 7 | N 5 | S 8 | S 10 | NE 7 | — | NE 11 | SSE 10 |
8 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 25 | 14 | 28 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 13 | — | 5 | 33 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | — | — | S 5 | — | — | S 3 | SSE 3 | — | NNE 2 | N 3 | N 5 | W 4 | NW 6 | W 3 | — | — | N 3 | N 5 | N 6 | SW 4 |
24 | — | — | 9 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | 119 | 10 | 102 | 3 | — | — | 8 | 124 | 109 | 24 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 183 | 176 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 1 | 1 | 53 |
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.











