Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, SE swell with 4,816 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period with ESE 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 (Jul 21) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 12s 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 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 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 heading our way.
We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The first real action kicks off Sunday the 19th, and honestly, it’s a bit of a beast to start. We’re looking at a strong 15ft swell from the SE, with a 10-second period. The wind is howling offshore at 25 mph, so the waves will be clean and lined up, but paddling into that kind of power with that much wind will be a proper fight. The combined energy is massive at 5986 (moderate wave energy), so this is for experienced surfers only. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
The best bet for the first week, and the standout of the whole forecast, is Wednesday morning the 22nd. The swell drops to a much more manageable 5ft from the E, but the wind goes glassy – absolute zero. That’s a rare treat. The energy is dialed back to 454 (moderate wave energy), and it’s going to be clean, smooth, and just perfect for a session at Rainbow Bay. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.
After that, the swell drops off. Thursday the 23rd is small and ordinary, but Friday the 24th morning brings a little bump back up to 7ft from the SSE with a short 7-second period, and a solid offshore wind. It’s choppy, but if you’re keen for a punchy wave, it’ll be there.
Into the second week, things get smaller and less consistent. From Saturday the 26th onward, heights hover around 2ft to 3ft, with the occasional longer-period groundswell (14 seconds on the 26th) but not enough oomph to get excited about. The winds are mostly offshore, but the energy is low – the highest reading is 281 (moderate wave energy) on the Saturday afternoon of the 1st of August. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.
Overall, there’s a clear window: Wednesday the 22nd morning is the pick of the fortnight. Get out there for that glassy, clean, 5ft E swell. The rest is either too big with gnarly wind, or too small to really get the heart pumping.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the E by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4490 | 4490 | 4816 | 3429 | 2372 | 1625 | 959 | 521 | 538 | 408 | 356 | 257 | 173 | 169 | 112 | 371 | 555 | 370 | 127 | 151 | 131 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off |
High Tide | 11:42AM1.32m | 11:45PM1.55m | 12:31PM1.33m | 00:22AM1.41m | 1:25PM1.34m | 1:04AM1.28m | 2:27PM1.37m | 1:55AM1.16m | 3:34PM1.43m | 3:01AM1.08m | 4:37PM1.50m | 4:18AM1.05m | 5:32PM1.59m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:26PM0.52m | 6:18AM0.41m | 6:18PM0.63m | 6:55AM0.45m | 7:21PM0.73m | 7:37AM0.48m | 8:39PM0.79m | 8:25AM0.50m | 10:06PM0.79m | 9:22AM0.50m | 11:21PM0.74m | 10:20AM0.49m | 00:20AM0.66m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — |
mm | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 20 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | S 18 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 1419 | 58 | 93 | 66 | 85 | 73 | 959 | 521 | 538 | 408 | 356 | 257 | 173 | 169 | 112 | 82 | 53 | 44 | 127 | 151 | 131 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | S 23 | — | — | — | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | ENE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | NE 9 | S 17 | NE 10 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
| kJ | 66 | 11 | — | — | — | 57 | 23 | 198 | 33 | 29 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 70 | 50 | 50 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 24 | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | SSE 11 | SE 16 | S 15 | S 14 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 8 | S 17 | — | NE 9 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | 100 | 37 | 10 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | 3 | 18 | 12 | 9 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 2 | SSE 4 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4490 | 4490 | 4816 | 3429 | 2372 | 1625 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 16 | 371 | 555 | 370 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 651 | 555 | 279 | 142 | 142 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
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.
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