Surf Forecasts:
Redhead surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period, ESE swell with 404 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Redhead this week:
The surf forecast for Redhead over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Redhead in the next 16 days are 1.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 10s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Redhead over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's talk about Redhead in the old measurements. It's a reef break, good for the beginners, but we're in for a slow spell with a lot of small, scrappy surf.
For the first eight days, from the 13th to the 20th of September, it's pretty grim. Swell is tiny, mostly under 3 feet, with short, weak periods. The wind is all over the place, but the energy is just too low. You'll see a lot of readings with energy in the single digits or low twenties (like the 8 on Sunday morning the 13th or the 20 on Tuesday morning the 15th), meaning there's no power behind them. There's a brief moment on Friday the 18th with a 4 ft swell from the SE, but it's a short 8-second period, and while the morning looks clean with a light offshore, the energy is still weak (175). Only the die-hards will get wet.
The first standout is Saturday the 19th of September. The morning is the best of the early run. We've got a clean, light cross-off breeze from the NW, with a 4 ft SE swell. The period jumps to a solid 11 seconds, meaning proper groundswell, and the combined energy rockets up to 273 (moderate). Water temp is about average for this time of year. The catch is that crowds are possible here, and on a reef you'll want to pick your spot wisely. This is the one to go for.
Then we hit another quiet stretch. From Sunday the 20th right through to Wednesday the 23rd, it's back to tiny, weak surf with almost no energy (readings of 1 or 3 ft). There's a whisper of something on Wednesday the 23rd with a 3 ft swell, but the NE wind is clean and cross-off, so it might be worth a look, though the energy is weak (74).
The second standout arrives on Saturday the 26th of September. The morning sees a clean, offshore breeze from the NNW and a solid 5 ft swell from the NE with a 7-second period. The energy reading hits 273 (moderate), but this size is right on the line of being too big for the beginners. If you're an experienced surfer, this is your window. The afternoon picks up to 6 ft, but the wind swings onshore and messes it up.
So, to sum it up: the best bets are the morning of Saturday the 19th and the morning of Saturday the 26th. The rest is mostly flat or junk. A long, quiet run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Wed morning, light winds from the WNW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | E 13 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | S 4 | E 14 | E 15 | S 10 | NE 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 23 | 8 | 54 | 50 | 13 | 23 | 126 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 155 | 151 | 389 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:32AM1.37m | 9:49PM1.29m | 10:11AM1.36m | 10:29PM1.16m | 10:50AM1.32m | 11:09PM1.03m | 11:31AM1.26m | 11:51PM0.91m | 12:14PM1.19m | 00:40AM0.81m | 1:03PM1.13m | 1:46AM0.74m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:22AM0.10m | 3:45PM0.14m | 3:57AM0.16m | 4:31PM0.19m | 4:31AM0.22m | 5:19PM0.26m | 5:05AM0.30m | 6:09PM0.33m | 5:41AM0.38m | 7:06PM0.39m | 6:21AM0.45m | 8:11PM0.43m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | |
 | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 11 | ENE 6 | S 12 | S 11 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | E 14 | E 14 | — | NE 13 | E 13 | S 19 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SE 8 | ESE 11 |
| kJ | 154 | 115 | 143 | 50 | 132 | 85 | 30 | 20 | 11 | 4 | 4 | — | 7 | 3 | 7 | 713 | 241 | 151 | 389 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SSE 17 | S 10 | ENE 6 | E 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | E 14 | E 15 | — | — | NE 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 8 | S 8 | S 8 |
| kJ | 23 | 8 | 29 | 102 | 13 | 3 | 52 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 4 | — | — | 7 | 3 | 3 | 155 | 140 | 89 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 20 | SSE 18 | ENE 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 10 | E 12 | — | E 14 | S 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSE 17 |
| kJ | 131 | 61 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 3 | — | 4 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 97 | 28 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | — | S 4 | S 6 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 35 | 22 | 54 | 102 | 46 | 23 | 126 | — | 15 | 275 | 1586 | 2385 | 2590 | 1941 | 1463 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 275 | 9 | 9 | 69 | 0 | 32 | 209 | 167 | 750 | 819 | 281 | 32 | 99 | 3 | 0 | 86 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Redhead surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Redhead Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Redhead provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Redhead can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Redhead 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 (Redhead) 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 Redhead 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Newcastle? If you are looking for accommodation near Redhead, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Newcastle, consider staying in Newcastle which is 12 km (7 miles) away. Other places in and around Newcastle where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Catherine Hill Bay which is 19 km (12 miles) away, Cessnock, Port Stephens and Central Coast.
Nearest