Surf Forecasts:
Redhead surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, E swell with 504 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period with E 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 10s period. 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 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 9s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Redhead over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Redhead has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, it’s a grim picture. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing but poor surf conditions from now through to the end of next week. The first half of this forecast is a write-off – days of strong onshore winds and zero wave energy staring us in the face. You’re looking at a gap of about a week with not a single decent wave to be had. That’s a tough run.
Things start to stir around the 20th of July – we finally see some swell energy building with an E swell arriving, around 5 ft, period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate, sitting at 355 to 394. But the wind is still on it, light cross-onshore stuff that keeps it messy. You could paddle out, but it's not going to be pretty.
Now, here’s where we get a little hope. The morning of Thursday the 23rd of July is a real standout. We’ve got a clean 5 ft E groundswell, a long period of 13 seconds, and the energy is strong at 791. More importantly, the wind goes light offshore from the NW, and the sky is clear. This is a setup that should deliver clean, lined-up waves at Redhead (a reef break). The water temp is right around average for this time of the year at 66°, nothing unusual there. Because this is a reef and a groundswell with that period, it could be really good. Crowds can be an issue here (sometimes busy), so get in early. This looks like the pick of the fortnight for experienced surfers. It’s more than 5 ft, so it might be a bit much for beginners. The Friday morning and afternoon on the 24th of July is also promising – 5 ft E swell, clean offshore NNW wind, light breeze, and those waves should have a good shape. The energy is moderate to strong at 491. A solid follow-up session.
After that, it gets messy again. The weekend of the 25th and 26th gets blown out with strong onshore winds, killing the quality despite some moderate swell energy. It just fades out into small, weak, and choppy surf as we head into the following week. That Thursday morning is the one to circle on the calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Wed night, light winds from the ESE by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 6 | E 10 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 60 | 60 | 126 | 95 | 152 | 273 | 427 | 492 | 426 | 408 | 346 | 235 | 235 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 8:14PM1.64m | 9:00AM1.08m | 9:02PM1.64m | 9:47AM1.12m | 9:49PM1.59m | 10:32AM1.14m | 10:35PM1.50m | 11:18AM1.16m | 11:20PM1.38m | 12:05PM1.16m | 00:05AM1.24m | 12:54PM1.16m | 00:53AM1.09m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:03AM0.03m | 2:31PM0.24m | 3:49AM0.01m | 3:24PM0.23m | 4:32AM0.03m | 4:16PM0.25m | 5:14AM0.08m | 5:08PM0.29m | 5:55AM0.14m | 6:03PM0.35m | 6:36AM0.21m | 7:01PM0.41m | 7:17AM0.28m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | |  |  | | |
 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 |
 | 5:02 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | 5:07 |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 6 | E 10 | — | — | S 18 | SSE 18 | S 8 | S 7 | S 6 | S 9 | S 10 | SSE 19 | S 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 4 | 24 | 2 | — | — | 6 | 31 | 193 | 73 | 29 | 106 | 51 | 36 | 43 | 427 | 492 | 426 | 408 | 346 | 235 | 235 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 10 | — | — | — | S 15 | S 17 | SSE 18 | SSE 18 | S 9 | S 11 | SSE 21 | S 18 | SSE 19 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 |
| kJ | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | 4 | 24 | 31 | 30 | 23 | 23 | 43 | 6 | 72 | 106 | 97 | 103 | 119 | 106 | 66 | 56 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 15 | — | — | — | — | S 14 | S 12 | E 10 | S 15 | S 23 | — | S 18 | E 18 | S 9 | S 8 | S 9 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 |
| kJ | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 11 | 2 | 18 | 10 | — | 6 | 6 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 3 | WSW 3 | S 7 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 311 | 1238 | 441 | 419 | 634 | 31 | 60 | 60 | 126 | 95 | 152 | 273 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 186 | 409 | 9 | 80 | 84 | 73 | 42 | 42 | 54 | 3 | 32 | 58 | 78 | 127 | 167 | 84 | 84 | 142 | 69 | 42 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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