Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 553 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 4PM (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 15) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 0.4m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. Rainbow Bay is a sheltered point that’s pretty beginner-friendly, and it’s fairly consistent. The water temperature is sitting at 68°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing too wild on that front.
The first window is pretty underwhelming, to be honest. From Saturday the 15th right through to Tuesday the 18th, we’ve got some small, short-period S to SSE swell coming in, around 5 ft to 6 ft, but conditions are very ordinary. Winds are mostly offshore, but it’s a moderate breeze, and the combined energy is weak to moderate (271 to 579). It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. The low period (7 seconds) means the waves are a bit weak and crumbly.
Then things start to look up on Wednesday the 19th. The morning session brings a cleaner setup with an ESE swell around 6 ft, a period of 11 seconds, and gentle offshore SSE winds. The combined energy jumps to 1529, which is strong, and the quality is rated as very good. This is a standout window for sure. The longer period means better shaped waves, with more energy and longer gaps between sets. It’s a point break, so that long-period groundswell should wrap in nicely.
After that, the surf drops off again. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are pretty poor, with small swell and onshore or cross-onshore winds. There’s a long gap of mediocrity from the 20th through to the 28th, with only a few brief moments of clean conditions but tiny waves. The energy is mostly weak, below 200, and the swell direction is all over the place.
The real standout is the last weekend of the month. On Saturday the 29th, we get a bump in swell from the SSE, around 3 ft in the morning but with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the energy is strong at 622. Winds are offshore and moderate. It’s a good sign for the point, though the long period might make it a bit tricky on the beach, but for a point break like Rainbow Bay, it’s perfect. The morning of Sunday the 30th is the best of the entire outlook: 7 ft of SSE swell, 10-second period, strong energy at 1229, and moderate offshore winds. The quality is rated very good. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon of the 30th keeps the size up at 8 ft, but the wind goes cross-off, so it’s still clean but maybe not quite as crisp.
For the long-range standout, that Sunday the 30th morning is the best call. It’s not too big for a point break, and the offshore wind will keep it clean. The later part of the month is promising, but with the long lead time, keep an eye on the forecasts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
212 | 187 | 316 | 344 | 229 | 345 | 406 | 414 | 403 | 403 | 423 | 439 | 515 | 543 | 214 | 250 | 157 | 135 | 68 | 61 | 111 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:59PM1.70m | 10:24AM1.43m | 10:33PM1.56m | 11:04AM1.42m | 11:04PM1.41m | 11:47AM1.40m | 11:37PM1.27m | 12:37PM1.37m | 00:13AM1.15m | 1:39PM1.36m | 1:05AM1.04m | 2:53PM1.38m | 2:27AM0.98m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:36PM0.27m | 4:21AM0.28m | 4:18PM0.38m | 4:52AM0.34m | 5:01PM0.50m | 5:22AM0.40m | 5:48PM0.62m | 5:55AM0.45m | 6:48PM0.73m | 6:34AM0.50m | 8:12PM0.80m | 7:27AM0.55m | 9:52PM0.79m | ||||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | |
mm | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 9 | SE 11 | ENE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 |
29 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 17 | 57 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 314 | 515 | 73 | 214 | 250 | 157 | 135 | 68 | 61 | 111 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 16 | N 8 | SE 19 | SE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 18 | SE 18 | E 10 | E 9 | S 10 | ESE 14 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ESE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 7 |
9 | 1 | 15 | 13 | 30 | 30 | 12 | 16 | 26 | 45 | 20 | 70 | 77 | 83 | 73 | 35 | 43 | 59 | 47 | 44 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | S 20 | E 16 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | S 18 | SE 17 | SE 14 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 12 | S 16 | S 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | — | ENE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 10 |
1 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 55 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 129 | 5 | 31 | 12 | 13 | — | 8 | 33 | 23 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | — | SE 11 | — | WSW 3 | — | — | — | N 3 | NNE 4 |
212 | 187 | 316 | 344 | 229 | 345 | 406 | 414 | 403 | 403 | 423 | 439 | — | 543 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 34 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 157 | 1 |
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.











