Rainbow Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 08 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is
21.3°C
0.2° 

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 7 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SSE swell with 1,835 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Tue 8th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 9s
Best Surf 4AM (Wed 9th Sep)6.5ft (2.0m) 9s
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, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First up, we’re looking at a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. There’s definitely some juice in the water, but you’ll have to time it right. The wind is going to be the main character here, more than the swell itself.

We kick things off with a bit of a dud for the first couple of days. Tuesday, September 8th, has surfable waves, but it’s nothing to write home about. That’s the pattern for a bit.

Then things get interesting. Wednesday September 10th morning is where it’s at. Rainbow Bay is looking *solid*. We’ve got a 12ft SSE swell pumping in with a period of 9 seconds and a fresh offshore wind from the south. That’s a serious amount of water moving, with combined swell energy hitting 2081 (strong). This is proper, powerful surf. The wind is clean, so expect some grinding lines off the point. This is for experienced surfers only, that size is no joke.

Thursday September 11th is still holding, with 10ft SSE swell and offshore winds again in the morning. The energy is still strong (1308). It'll be a touch smaller than the day before but still a good, punchy wave.

After that, things start to taper off and get messier. Friday September 12th and into the weekend see the swell dropping and the wind shifting cross-offshore. It’s not terrible, but it’s not the standout. By Sunday September 14th, the swell has petered out to under 3ft, and the energy is weak (144). That’s about it for the first week.

Into the second week, it’s a quiet story. From Monday September 15th through to the end of the run, it’s mostly flat or very small waves. You’ll see a few tiny pulses, like on Thursday September 18th with a 3ft SSE swell and a long 11-second period, and a 3ft SSE pulse on Friday September 19th, but the energy is low. There's a late spike of 7ft on Sunday September 21st, but the wind is howling onshore – that one’s a write-off for paddling.

The real standout is undeniably Wednesday September 10th morning at Rainbow Bay. The size, the clean offshore wind, the strong energy – that’s the session to circle in the calendar. Thursday September 11th morning is a solid backup if you miss it.

Alright, that’s the picture. It’s a short, sharp burst of quality, so be ready to jump on it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
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
1
2
2
0
1
2
2
3
3
0
1
2
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
S
9
2.1
S
8
1.9
SSE
9
1.6
SSE
9
1.4
SSE
9
1.4
SSE
9
3.5
SSE
9
3
SSE
9
3
SSE
9
3
SSE
9
2.5
SSE
9
2.4
SE
8
2.1
SE
7
1.6
SSE
8
1.3
SSE
8
1.8
SE
7
0.9
SSE
9
0.9
SSE
8
0.8
SSE
8
0.6
SSE
9
0.5
SSE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
304
504
534
388
288
295
1746
1676
1342
1216
926
664
483
315
234
275
137
99
78
64
51
Wind (km/h)
25
S
25
SSE
20
S
5
SE
15
NE
20
S
30
S
30
SSE
25
S
20
S
25
SSE
20
SE
20
SSE
25
SSE
15
SSE
20
SSE
20
SSE
10
S
15
SE
15
ESE
5
SW
Wind State
off
off
off
glassy
cross-on
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
High Tide
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
9:13AM1.57m
9:26PM1.55m
9:50AM1.56m
9:57PM1.41m
Low Tide
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
3:18PM0.30m
3:34AM0.29m
3:58PM0.41m
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:52
5:50
5:50
5:48
5:48
5:47
5:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:34
5:35
5:35
5:36
5:36
5:37
5:37
 mm
2
3
3
1
2
3
2
3
Temp °C
19
19
18
19
19
18
19
18
16
18
18
18
19
19
17
19
19
18
19
19
17
Feels °C
14
14
15
16
17
16
12
12
12
13
13
14
13
14
14
15
15
16
17
17
17
  • 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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