
Surf Forecasts:
Rainbow Bay surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SSE swell with 1,129 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, your local surf reporter. Let's have a look at what's in store for Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, it's a bit of a tough start. The first few days are pretty flat and messy, so you're best off giving the water a miss until we get a proper pulse. Things start to look up from Monday the 7th.
We get a bit of a kick on Monday morning, with a 5ft swell from the SSE and a short period around 8 seconds. The wind is offshore from the SSE, so the bay will be clean. The combined energy is moderate (341). It's not huge, but it's a start. The real standout of the week is Wednesday morning, the 9th. We've got a solid 6ft SSE swell, period stretching to 9 seconds, and light cross-offshore winds from the SE. The water is a very average 70°, which is about normal for this time of year. The combined energy is strong (511), and the bay will be clean. This is the one to aim for.
Thursday the 10th sees the swell bump up to 7ft in the morning, but it's a bit of a beast with a fresh 19 mph offshore wind, making it challenging. The afternoon gets bigger, hitting 10ft, which is only for the experienced crew. Friday the 11th is a solid option, with 7ft to 7ft SSE swell and moderate offshore winds keeping things clean. The energy is still strong.
After that, the weekend of the 12th and 13th drops off in size, with 4ft and 3ft swells, but the winds are cross-offshore, so it'll be clean but small. Not a standout.
Then we hit a dry spell. From Monday the 14th through to the start of the second week, the conditions turn poor. The wind goes onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is either small or from the wrong direction. There's a bit of a pulse on the 16th and 17th, but the wind is howling onshore, making it a mess. This period is a write-off for surfing.
Now, looking further ahead to the second week, there's a promising but less certain option. On Friday the 18th of September, we see a very long period groundswell (16 seconds) from the SE, pushing 7ft. The combined energy is massive (2939). This is a serious, powerful swell. The catch is the wind is light cross-onshore in the morning. For a point break like Rainbow Bay, this long-period swell will wrap in nicely and offer some great, well-shaped waves. It's a standout for the experts, but the long period means the sets will be spaced out. The following Saturday and Sunday, the 19th and 20th, clean up nicely with stiff offshore winds and a 3ft to 6ft SSE swell, making for a fun, clean finish to the outlook.
Alright, so to wrap it up: this week, get into the water on Wednesday morning the 9th for the best of the first run. The second week's standout is a big one, with that massive, long-period swell on Friday the 18th of September, but it's one for the experienced crew. Keep an eye on the forecast for that one.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Sun afternoon, calm by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | S 9 | NNE 5 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SE 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
96 | 42 | 48 | 17 | 17 | 161 | 326 | 471 | 220 | 169 | 56 | 474 | 495 | 475 | 325 | 651 | 1129 | 812 | 515 | 444 | 506 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 2:50PM1.54m | 3:16AM1.03m | 4:06PM1.62m | 4:37AM1.09m | 5:11PM1.72m | 5:40AM1.20m | 6:05PM1.80m | 6:31AM1.32m | 6:53PM1.84m | 7:16AM1.42m | 7:36PM1.83m | 7:57AM1.50m | 8:16PM1.77m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:46PM0.47m | 9:06AM0.38m | 10:58PM0.39m | 10:22AM0.33m | 11:54PM0.29m | 11:26AM0.26m | 00:41AM0.22m | 12:20PM0.20m | 1:21AM0.18m | 1:09PM0.16m | 1:59AM0.17m | 1:54PM0.17m | 2:33AM0.19m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 22 | 29 | 30 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 26 | 29 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | E 10 | SSE 9 | E 10 | NNE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | NE 8 | SE 11 | ENE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 15 | SSE 15 | E 8 |
96 | 42 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 41 | 326 | 471 | 220 | 11 | 56 | 16 | 495 | 475 | 325 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 150 | 89 | 12 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | E 10 | S 8 | E 10 | S 9 | E 10 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 9 | E 10 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 15 | E 15 | SSE 23 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 16 |
11 | 28 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 27 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 52 | 6 | 12 | 25 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SE 14 | SSE 10 | S 20 | S 20 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 13 | E 10 | — | N 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 15 | S 23 | E 15 | E 13 | E 14 | E 14 |
27 | 8 | 20 | 8 | 7 | — | 15 | 15 | 15 | 26 | 16 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 5 | NNE 5 | N 6 | N 6 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | S 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | — | — | — | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 10 |
— | 19 | 48 | 89 | 126 | 161 | — | — | — | 169 | 131 | 474 | — | — | — | 651 | 1129 | 812 | 515 | 444 | 506 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 54 | 265 | 1 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 142 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 767 | 0 | 0 | 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.










