Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 7s period, SE swell with 658 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 7s is also forecast. 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 2.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Rainbow Bay.
Alright, mate, it’s a pretty quiet stretch ahead. There’s surf on offer most days, but honestly, there’s no standout session that’ll have you ringing in sick. The pattern is mostly small to moderate swell with onshore or cross-off winds messing with the quality. The water temp sittin’ around 69°, right on the money for this time of year, no surprises there.
Thursday 13th August – Don’t bother. Clean-looking on paper, but the swells are weak and messy. The morning’s got a tiny 2ft easterly windswell (105 combined energy), and it’s just poor. Afternoon gets a bit more size at 3ft from the south, but cross-off winds at 12 mph and it’s still a dud.
Friday 14th August – Best chance for a sneaky session all week. Morning has a 5ft SSE swell (357 combined energy), moderate energy, with a clean 9 mph offshore wind from the south. The period’s 9 seconds, so it’s a short-period windswell, not groundswell, but it’ll be rideable and peeling. It’s only “fairly consistent” and crowds are “often” here, so you might have a few mates out, but for a sheltered point with offshore breeze, it’s the pick of the window. Afternoon turns bad with stronger cross-off winds and poor conditions.
Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th August – Marginally better than flat. Saturday morning’s 4ft from the south with a moderate offshore at 16 mph, but the period drops to 7 seconds – weak, choppy lines. Sunday’s a bit bigger at 6ft (315 combined energy) but same short period and strong offshore winds. Surfable but nothing to write home about.
Monday 17th to Tuesday 18th August – Swell picks up, but the quality tanks. Monday hits 8ft from the SE (682 combined energy) – too big for beginners and cross-off winds at 19 mph make it a messy, blown-out mess. Tuesday’s not much better, 8ft with cross-off winds. The energy is strong, but it’s not a paddle-surfing day. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a clean wave ride.
Wednesday 19th to Thursday 20th August – A bit of a reprieve. Swell drops back to 4ft to 4ft (277 to 360 combined energy) with gentle offshore or cross-off breezes. Ordinary conditions but at least you can get wet. The swell direction is SSE to SE, not ideal for the optimum SE direction, but you’ll get a workable wave.
Friday 21st to Saturday 22nd August – Small and clean but slow. Saturday morning is actually glassy – 3 mph offshore from the north-northeast – with 3ft of ENE swell (198 combined energy). The period is 9 seconds, so it’s not gonna be punchy, but if you want a longboard cruise with no wind, that’s your window. The afternoon turns onshore and it’s over.
Sunday 23rd to Monday 24th August – More small, average stuff. Sunday has a bit of size at 5ft (373 combined energy) with a 10-second period from the east, but cross-on winds ruin it. Monday morning is back to 4ft with a gentle offshore (S 9 mph) – surfable but nothing special.
Tuesday 25th to Wednesday 26th August – The end of the run is a whimper. Swell fades to 2ft to 4ft (82 to 96 combined energy) with onshore or choppy winds. Don’t rush out.
Thursday 27th to Friday 28th August – Strong offshore winds blow through, but the swell is tiny and inconsistent. Friday morning has a 3ft SSE groundswell with a 10-second period (270 combined energy) and strong 22 mph offshore – clean but hard work to paddle into. The afternoon on Friday 28th August has a 14-second period long-period groundswell from the SE (317 combined energy), but it’s only 2ft. For a point break like Rainbow Bay, that long period will produce some nice lines, but the size is pathetic.
Honestly, if you’re desperate, Friday 14th August morning is the best of a very average lot – 5ft SSE, clean offshore, and the point will offer some shape. After that? It’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
61 | 127 | 284 | 304 | 383 | 238 | 159 | 110 | 169 | 265 | 253 | 289 | 658 | 567 | 490 | 575 | 291 | 213 | 157 | 216 | 196 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 8:43PM1.91m | 9:04AM1.40m | 9:22PM1.83m | 9:44AM1.43m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:09PM0.15m | 3:12AM0.18m | 2:53PM0.19m | 3:48AM0.22m | 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 | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | 7 | 2 | — | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 8 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | SE 15 | E 9 | E 9 | S 10 | E 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ENE 7 | SE 8 |
61 | 43 | 284 | 43 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 17 | 8 | 59 | 60 | 31 | 253 | 213 | 157 | 114 | 196 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | NNE 7 | E 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | SE 16 | NE 11 | SE 19 | SE 18 | ESE 9 | SSE 17 | SE 18 | E 13 | E 13 | — | ESE 13 | E 7 | ENE 7 | S 11 | ENE 8 |
44 | 5 | 43 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 29 | 12 | 4 | 3 | — | 17 | 178 | 102 | 2 | 105 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 6 | NE 10 | NE 10 | S 19 | N 9 | SE 19 | NE 11 | S 15 | — | E 15 | SSE 18 | E 14 | S 15 | E 13 | E 13 | — | S 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 8 | S 9 | ESE 11 |
4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 14 | 5 | 5 | — | 4 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 12 | 52 | 44 | 28 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | S 8 | — | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | — | WSW 2 | SE 8 | — |
10 | 127 | — | 304 | 383 | 238 | 159 | 110 | 169 | 265 | 253 | 289 | 658 | 567 | 490 | 575 | 291 | — | 1 | 216 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gold Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











