Rainbow Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 28.16° S 153.55° E

Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 10 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rainbow Bay sea temperature is
20.9° C
0.3° 

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 10 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 11 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s period, ESE swell with 963 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period with SE 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 (Jul 11) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 15s. 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 2.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Sat 11th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 11s
Best Surf 1AM (Sat 11th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 11s
Most Powerful10PM (Fri 17th Jul)7.5ft (2.3m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rainbow Bay over the next 16 days.


G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s some real magic lined up if you’re patient. The first proper surf worth paddling out for hits Rainbow Bay on Friday, July 10th. It’s a sheltered point, so it does need the right angle.

Friday afternoon kicks it off with a clean 6ft SE swell, period around 10 seconds, and a gentle offshore breeze from the south—so the surface is looking pretty tidy. The water’s sitting at 70°, which is right about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. Combined wave energy is moderate (769), so there’s enough push to get a decent ride without it being too full-on for a beginner-friendly spot. Just be aware, crowds are often here, so expect company.

Saturday the 11th is the standout. Morning session comes in with glassy conditions, 5ft SE swell, period still 10 seconds, and that offshore breeze drops to almost nothing. The afternoon cleans up even more—dead calm, 4ft ESE swell, period stretching out to 12 seconds. A longer period like that brings better shaped waves, more energy in each set, but at a point break like this, it’s a real bonus. The wave energy stays moderate (618 and 613), and the conditions are absolutely pristine. This is the best on offer.

Sunday the 12th turns ugly—cross-onshore wind, dropping swell down to 4ft and 3ft, period under 10 seconds, and the energy plummets (292 and 207). Monday the 13th is a write-off with tiny, weak swell under 2ft (77 and 74). Tuesday morning offers a glassy 2ft but barely enough to surf (89). From Tuesday afternoon through to Wednesday the 15th morning, it’s flat and poor.

Now, Wednesday the 15th afternoon sees a jump—8ft S swell, but the period is only 7 seconds, which is short and messy, and the forecast is marginal despite the fresh offshore wind. Not worth getting excited about.

Thursday the 16th morning brings 8ft SSE swell, period 8 seconds, moderate offshore wind, and moderate energy (576). It’s clean, but that swell height is getting into expert territory for a beginner spot, so keep an eye on your ability. Afternoon the same day gets even bigger at 8ft, but with a cross-offshore wind and period still short at 7 seconds—energy jumps to 801, but it’s messy and powerful.

Friday the 17th is solid again: 7ft SE swell, period 7–8 seconds, gentle to moderate offshore wind, and energy around 522 to 587. Clean, but again, big for beginners.

Saturday the 18th morning keeps it going with 7ft ESE swell, period 9 seconds, moderate offshore, energy (676). Afternoon drops to 6ft but cross-offshore wind creeps in.

Sunday the 19th through Tuesday the 21st sees the swell fade (5ft down to 4ft), period stays short, and winds turn cross-onshore or onshore. Wednesday the 22nd onward is tiny, weak, and poor—most days under 3ft with energy below 200, and only occasional glassy mornings on the 23rd and 24th that are barely surfable.

So, the real standout is Saturday, July 11th at Rainbow Bay—that glassy, clean 4–5ft SE/ESE swell with long period is about as good as it gets for this stretch. Snag it early. After that, the second half of the second week is a write-off, so don’t hold your breath.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the S by Wed morning).

Fri
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
2
0
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
SE
10
1.7
SE
11
1.5
SE
10
1.2
ESE
12
1.3
ESE
11
1.1
SE
10
0.9
ESE
10
0.7
SE
10
0.6
ESE
9
0.6
ESE
9
0.5
S
8
0.6
S
9
0.2
ESE
10
0.6
S
8
0.2
ESE
9
2.3
S
7
2.5
SSE
8
2.3
SSE
8
2.5
SSE
7
2.4
SSE
8
2.2
SE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
769
652
415
371
389
248
175
98
55
53
32
55
10
41
9
569
691
576
801
628
516
Wind (km/h)
15
S
10
SSW
5
S
0
ESE
10
NW
20
WNW
15
NNW
10
WSW
0
SE
5
E
10
WNW
5
SSW
10
ESE
10
SSW
20
S
30
S
25
SSE
25
SSE
25
SSE
15
S
15
S
Wind State
off
off
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
High Tide
4:41PM1.63m
4:46AM1.19m
5:41PM1.76m
5:54AM1.19m
6:37PM1.88m
6:55AM1.21m
7:29PM1.97m
7:49AM1.24m
8:17PM2.01m
8:40AM1.27m
9:03PM2.00m
9:27AM1.29m
9:47PM1.94m
10:12AM1.30m
Low Tide
11:14PM0.48m
10:49AM0.25m
00:20AM0.38m
11:46AM0.21m
1:18AM0.29m
12:40PM0.17m
2:10AM0.22m
1:31PM0.16m
2:59AM0.20m
2:20PM0.18m
3:43AM0.20m
3:07PM0.23m
4:25AM0.24m
rain showers
part cloud
clear
rain showers
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:37
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:04
5:05
5:05
5:05
5:06
5:06
5:07
5:07
 mm
1
1
2
1
Temp °C
17
15
16
16
16
21
21
18
17
17
15
18
17
16
17
17
16
18
18
15
18
Feels °C
14
13
15
16
13
17
17
14
15
15
12
15
14
13
11
12
11
12
13
12
15
  • 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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